moments
6 synonyms for moments, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Very short periods of time; instants.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
instants
occasions
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
Very short periods of time; instants.
“She stood there for a few moments before knocking.”
How to use moments
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
a few moments
in a moment
moments later
precious moments
have your moments
Neutral in every sense except 'have your moments', which is conversational.
Etymology
Plural of moment, from Latin momentum 'movement, an instant of time'.
Full origin of moments →Frequently asked questions
How long is a moment?
In modern English a moment is not a fixed length — it just means a very short time, usually seconds rather than minutes. The old medieval unit of a moment was about 90 seconds, but nobody uses that meaning today.
What does 'he has his moments' mean?
It means the person is not consistently good at something, but occasionally does it very well. It is mild praise with a built-in qualification.
