brief
ly
1
for a short duration
- She closed her eyes briefly to gather her thoughts.
- The sun briefly appeared from behind the clouds before disappearing again.
- He was briefly in town for a business meeting.
- The lights flickered briefly during the storm.
- The pain briefly subsided before returning even stronger.
2
in a few words and without many details
- She briefly explained the rules before the game started.
- The report briefly summarized the key findings of the study.
- He briefly mentioned his trip but didn’t go into details.
- The professor briefly outlined the main points of the lecture.
- The news anchor briefly reported on the incident.
3
in a manner that is short or quick
- She briefly nodded and walked away.
- He briefly shook my hand before moving on to the next guest.
- The officer briefly glanced at my ID and waved me through.
- The teacher briefly looked up from her notes before continuing the lesson.
- He briefly raised his hand in greeting but didn’t stop to chat.