adv ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adverb

1. 1
   For some time; for a short time. not-comparable

   "Sit with me awhile."

2. 2
   In the meantime; during an implicit ongoing process. US, not-comparable

   "Can I get you a drink awhile?"

Adverb

1. 1
   for a brief period wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

ephemerallyfor a minutefor a whilefor the momentfor the time beingfor while

Example

More examples

"I'll bet Madonna doesn't return to her career for awhile."

Etymology

From Old English ane (“(for) a”) hwile (“while”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.