moment

[[t]mo͟ʊmənt[/t]]

♦

moments

1) N-COUNT You can refer to a very short period of time, for example a few seconds, as a moment or moments.

In a moment he was gone...

She stared at him a moment, then turned away...

Stop for one moment and think about it!...

In moments, I was asleep once more.

Syn:

minute, second

2) N-COUNT: with supp A particular moment is the point in time at which something happens.

At this moment a car stopped at the house...

Many people still remember the moment when they heard that President Kennedy had been assassinated.

...a decision that may have been made in a moment of panic.

Syn:

instant

3) PHRASE (emphasis) If you say that something will or may happen at any moment or any moment now, you are emphasizing that it is likely to happen very soon.

They ran the risk of being shot at any moment...

He'll be here to see you any moment now.

Syn:

at any minute

4) PHRASE You use expressions such as at the moment, at this moment, and at the present moment to indicate that a particular situation exists at the time when you are speaking.

At the moment, no one is talking to me...

This is being planned at the present moment...

He's touring South America at this moment in time.

Syn:

now, currently

5) PHRASE: with brd-neg, PHR with v (emphasis) If you say that you do not believe for a moment or for one moment that something is true, you are emphasizing that you do not believe that it could possibly be true.

I don't for a moment think there'll be a divorce.

Syn:

for a minute

6) PHRASE: PHR with cl You use for the moment to indicate that something is true now, even if it will not be true in the future.

For the moment, however, the government is happy to live with it.

Syn:

for now

7) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that someone or something has their moments, you are indicating that there are times when they are successful or interesting, but that this does not happen very often.

The film has its moments...

He's not the thoroughly outgoing character you'd predict, although he has his moments.

8) PHRASE: prep PHR If someone does something at the last moment, they do it at the latest time possible.

They changed their minds at the last moment and refused to go.

Syn:

the last minute

9) PHRASE (emphasis) You use the expression the next moment, or expressions such as `one moment he was there , the next he was gone', to emphasize that something happens suddenly, especially when it is very different from what was happening before.

The next moment there was an almighty crash...

He is unpredictable, weeping one moment, laughing the next.

Syn:

the next minute

10) PHRASE: n PHR You use of the moment to describe someone or something that is or was especially popular at a particular time, especially when you want to suggest that their popularity is unlikely to last long or did not last long.

He's the man of the moment, isn't he?...

He calls it a `contraption', using his favourite word of the moment.

11) PHRASE: PHR that (emphasis) If you say that something happens the moment something else happens, you are emphasizing that it happens immediately after the other thing.

The moment I closed my eyes, I fell asleep.

Syn:

the minute, as soon as

12) spur of the moment → see spur