Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
awhile. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
awhile, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
awhile in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
awhile you have here. The definition of the word
awhile will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
awhile, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
Old English ane (“(for) a”) hwile (“while”)
Pronunciation
Adverb
awhile (not comparable)
- For some time; for a short time.
Sit with me awhile.
1944 May and June, “When the Circle was Steam Operated”, in Railway Magazine, page 137:Engine No. 18 went off into a shed to rest awhile, and No. 7, a precisely similar one, backed on to the train in her place.
1979, The Boomtown Rats (lyrics and music), “Wind Chill Factor (Minus Zero)”, in The Fine Art of Surfacing:I'll slip beneath these sheets and shiver here awhile / I find this happening more frequently these days
- (US, Pennsylvania Dutch English) In the meantime; during an implicit ongoing process.
Can I get you a drink awhile?
Usage notes
Awhile to mean “for a while” is often considered incorrect to use with a preceding preposition, since one is already supposed: instead of “for awhile”, one should prefer either “for a while” or simply “awhile”. However, “awhile” as object for a preposition is used by renowned writers, is allowed by Merriam-Webster, and is consistent with how other adverbs of time and place are employed.
In Pennsylvania Dutch English, awhile is typically always used to convey such sense; the word is separated as “a while” for the first sense, whether preceded by a preposition or not. Compare “You may sit awhile” (inviting a person to sit while they are waiting) and “You may sit a while” (inviting them to sit for a length of time).
Synonyms
Related terms
Translations
For some time; for a short time
- Bengali: কিছুক্ষন (kichukkhon)
- Bulgarian: за изве́стно вре́ме (za izvéstno vréme)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 一會兒／一会儿 (zh) (yīhuìr)
- Finnish: hetken (fi), hetkisen (fi), hetken aikaa, vähän aikaa (fi)
- French: un moment (fr) m, un peu (fr), un instant
- German: eine Weile
- Indonesian: sebentar (id)
- Irish: go fóill, ar feadh píosa, ar feadh tamaill
- Italian: per un po'
- Japanese: 暫く (ja) (しばらく, shibaraku)
- Korean: 잠깐 (ko) (jamkkan)
- Portuguese: por um tempo
- Russian: ненадо́лго (ru) (nenadólgo), на не́которое вре́мя (na nékotoroje vrémja)
- Spanish: un rato, algún tiempo
|
In the meantime; meanwhile
References
- “'Awhile' vs. 'A While'”, in Merriam-Webster, archived from the original on 2023-10-17: “Generally, the two-word form "a while" should be used when following a preposition ("I will read for a while"), or with the words ago or back ("a while ago/back").”