Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of moment
"The car crash happened in moments, leaving everyone stunned by how quickly it occurred."
In plain English: Moments are very short periods of time that happen quickly and often feel important.
"The car broke down during the last few moments of our vacation."
Usage: Use "moments" to refer to very short periods of time or specific occasions when something happens. Do not use it to describe physical objects or heavy weights, which are unrelated meanings of the word.
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of moment
"She moments to look at her watch before leaving the party."
In plain English: To make something happen quickly and easily without thinking too much about it.
"The chef will moments the steak before serving it."
Usage: Do not use "moment" as a verb to mean "to pause" or "to hesitate"; it is strictly a noun indicating a brief period of time. Instead, use the verb "to take a moment" when referring to pausing briefly.
Derived from Latin momentum, originally meaning a tiny weight, it evolved to signify an instant in time or a significant occurrence. The term entered English via Old French mouvement before taking on its modern sense of fleeting periods.