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.

Chrissy Lawler saw her social life dry up awhile back.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 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

“Bottom line, these numbers are quite impressive, particularly given the current economic and earnings cycles have been going awhile post-Covid-19,” writes Jeffrey Buchbinder, chief equity strategist at LPL Financial.

From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025

They conferred awhile; then Matthias came forward to the parapet.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques