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

He took awhile to get up but remained in the game for just over a minute before leaving for good at the 6:40 mark.

From Los Angeles Times

We borrowed many initially because we did not have dogs and they came and went, ran for us awhile, then belonged to someone else.

From Literature

California does take awhile to count its ballots and finalize its elections.

From Los Angeles Times