moment

noun

ˈmō-mənt How to pronounce moment (audio)
Definition of momentnext
1
as in time
a particular point at which an event takes place at that moment he suddenly turned around and headed toward me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in importance
the quality or state of being important an event of great moment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in minute
a very small space of time I'll be there in just a moment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in today
the time currently existing or in progress I'm not doing anything at the moment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun moment differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of moment are consequence, importance, significance, and weight. While all these words mean "a quality or aspect having great worth or significance," moment implies conspicuous or self-evident consequence.

a decision of great moment

Where would consequence be a reasonable alternative to moment?

The words consequence and moment can be used in similar contexts, but consequence generally implies importance because of probable or possible effects.

the style you choose is of little consequence

When is importance a more appropriate choice than moment?

The synonyms importance and moment are sometimes interchangeable, but importance implies a value judgment of the superior worth or influence of something or someone.

a region with no cities of importance

When can significance be used instead of moment?

While in some cases nearly identical to moment, significance implies a quality or character that should mark a thing as important but that is not self-evident and may or may not be recognized.

the treaty's significance

When could weight be used to replace moment?

While the synonyms weight and moment are close in meaning, weight implies a judgment of the immediate relative importance of something.

the argument carried no weight with the judge

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of moment His music, a blend of charismatic and electrifying punk and post-punk, provided the hard-rocking moment of the entire three-and-a-half-hour evening. — David Chiu, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Sharif said Noreen displayed exceptional courage and devotion to duty by risking her life to save the newborn moments before the nursery burned down. — ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026 The settlement was quickly compared to the tobacco lawsuits of the nineties, a moment of public clarity during which a ubiquitous product came to be seen as a scourge. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026 Self-compassion involves having kindness of yourself, recognizing common humanity, reducing self-judgement and practicing mindfulness (a focus on living in the present moment). — Jennifer Donnelly, Scientific American, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for moment
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moment
  1. time
  2. importance
  3. minute
  4. today
  5. occasion
  6. significance
  7. second
  8. present
Noun
  • Crump also made a Facebook post about the Blytheville incident on Saturday, which had been shared more than 4,000 times as of Sunday afternoon.
    — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2026
  • For example, expressing appreciation for past help or thanking the doctor for their time was more helpful than emphasizing sadness or frustration.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of time
Noun
  • Guerra emphasized the importance of teaching younger generations about LGBTQ hate.
    — Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Initially, the group aired jingles on the radio and distributed flyers around Ife, stressing the importance of early detection.
    — Caleb Hellerman, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of importance
Noun
  • The layered structure disappeared completely after 50 minutes.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Turn and continue cooking, turning every 2 minutes or so, until pork chops are deeply browned on both sides, 10–12 minutes (an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should register 145°).
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of minute
Noun
  • My mom’s longtime favorite flip-flops have a super impressive discount today, so act fast to snap them up before summer officially comes to a close.
    — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Chevron expects to be able produce about 600,000 barrels a day from its Venezuelan oil projects in five years, up from roughly 300,000 today.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of today
Noun
  • Ambroson expressed to the crowd how Barnett brought smiles and jokes to every occasion.
    — PJ Green August 30, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Kelce has shown off his ring on a few other occasions in the weeks since his Madison Square Garden nuptials.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of occasion
Noun
  • The significance of the demonstration lies not simply in the successful release of the weapons, but in the different effects that the three TOLUN variants are designed to deliver.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Luxon, however, downplayed the significance of Kiribati's non-attendance and of Nauru's rare dissent to the clause in the Pacific leaders' end of summit communiqué.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of significance
Noun
  • Its 100mm pixel macro lens captures 28 images per second in order to guide the jet to the gaps in your teeth.
    — Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The two stabbings happened about 20 seconds apart, Tisch said.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of second
Noun
  • Cao’s deeper subject here concerns the wagers people make on their futures and, by extension, the ways risk is deferred and abstracted in our gamified, appified, casino-like present.
    — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Maxton Hall – The World Between Us fans are getting an early Christmas present with the third season of Prime Video’s YA hit launching on December 9.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of present

Phrases Containing moment

Browse Nearby Words

mome
moment
momenta
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Cite this Entry

“Moment.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moment. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on moment

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about moment

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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