Mo

9 synonyms for Mo, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adv — Informal shortening of "moment"; used in phrases like "half a mo" or "wait a mo."

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

moment sec instant minute bit second

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

tick

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

jiffy molybdenum

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adv

Informal shortening of "moment"; used in phrases like "half a mo" or "wait a mo."

“Hang on a mo, I'll be right there.”

moment sec jiffy tick instant

2. noun

Informal word for a moustache, chiefly in Australian and British English.

“He grew a mo for charity in November.”

molybdenum minute bit moment second

How to use Mo

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

half a mo grow a mo

Very informal — mainly spoken British/Australian English.

Etymology

A transliteration of Chinese 莫 (mò).

Full origin of Mo →

Frequently asked questions

What does “Mo” mean?

The word “Mo” means informal shortening of "moment"; used in phrases like "half a mo" or "wait a mo.". In plain terms, casual short form of "moment" (wait a mo) or, separately, slang for "moustache.".

How do you pronounce “Mo”?

“Mo” is pronounced MOH (/ˈməʊ/ in IPA).

How do you use “Mo” in a sentence?

Here is “Mo” used in a sentence: “Hang on a mo, I'll be right there.”

What part of speech is “Mo”?

Depending on how it is used, “Mo” can be an adverb and a noun.

Is “Mo” a common word?

“Mo” is a fairly common word in modern English.

How many meanings does “Mo” have?

“Mo” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: informal shortening of "moment"; used in phrases like "half a mo" or "wait a mo.".

What is the difference between "a mo" and "a sec"?

Both are informal ways of asking for a very short amount of time. Mo is a clipping of "moment" and is heard chiefly in British English, while sec clips "second" and is common everywhere. In practice they are interchangeable: "give me a mo" and "give me a sec" mean the same thing.

Why is a moustache called a mo?

Mo is simply an informal shortening of "moustache," used chiefly in Australian and British English. You might hear someone say a man is "growing a mo" for charity.

Is mo acceptable in formal writing?

No — both senses of mo are informal. In formal writing, use "moment" for the time sense and "moustache" for the facial-hair sense; keep mo for casual speech, texts, and chatty writing.

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second bit moment minute instant sec tick molybdenum jiffy

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