awhile

[uh-hwahyl, uh-wahyl] / əˈʰwaɪl, əˈwaɪl /

ADVERB

for a short period

Synonyms

WEAK

briefly for a bit for a little while for a moment for a spell for a while for the moment momentarily not for long temporarily transiently

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Even if the war ends soon, it could take awhile to restore some energy supply.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

Chrissy Lawler saw her social life dry up awhile back.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

It feels like this game will be close for awhile, and Seattle will pull away just enough in the second half.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 8, 2026

Our call of the day from Charlie McElligott, Nomura’s widely respected cross-asset strategist, says investors had been ready for AI headwinds this year, but instead are facing a second-order one that wasn’t expected for awhile.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 4, 2026

After it had steeped awhile, I took out the bags, added quite a lot of sugar and put the pitcher in the basement.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien