aha moment

American

noun

Informal.

a point in time, event, or experience when one has a sudden insight or realization.

My aha moment was when I put on my shorts from last summer and they didn’t fit.

aha moment British

noun

an instant at which the solution to a problem becomes clear

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of aha moment

From the expression aha, used to signal sudden awareness or comprehension

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.

And of all the tools we use to teach, this quilt chart consistently produces the biggest “aha” moment.

From MarketWatch

“That was my main ‘aha’ moment with this product.”

From The Wall Street Journal

For most of us, there is no “Aha!” moment that screams: It’s time to retire.

From The Wall Street Journal

“That’s the ‘Aha’ moment,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal

Her goal isn’t necessarily an “aha” moment behind the wheel.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023