for a minute
The phrase "for a minute" is commonly used in casual conversation to denote a brief period of time or to express disbelief.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
B1General Conversation
(informal)Indicates a short duration or a brief pause.
Example
- Can you hold this for a minute?
- I'll be back in a minute.
B2Expressing Disbelief
(informal)Used to emphasize that something is not believed at all.
Example
- I don't think for a minute that he meant to offend you.
B2Momentary Confusion
(informal)Describes a brief period of misunderstanding before clarity.
Example
- For a minute, I thought you were serious.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "for a minute":
just a minutewait a minutehot minuteone momenthave a momentjust a secondfor oneshort timesome timeby the momentin the moment