Meanwhile Meaning
Meanwhile Definition & Usage
At the same time as something else.
Examples
- "I was making dinner. Meanwhile, my brother was setting the table."
- "The sun was setting in the west. Meanwhile, the city lights started flickering on."
- "Sarah was writing emails. Meanwhile, John was preparing for his presentation."
- "The kids were playing outside. Meanwhile, the parents were cooking dinner in the kitchen."
- "He was talking about his vacation plans. Meanwhile, his colleague was struggling with a deadline."
In contrast with or simultaneously occurring with another action or event.
Examples
- "Tom was arguing with his friend, meanwhile, I was trying to get some work done."
- "She was shopping for groceries. Meanwhile, her husband was fixing the car at home."
- "The meeting was running late, meanwhile, the team at headquarters had already finished their task."
- "The children were watching cartoons. Meanwhile, their parents were discussing vacation plans."
- "He continued his speech. Meanwhile, the audience was distracted by the noise outside."
Cultural Context
The word 'meanwhile' has been used in English for centuries, originating from Old English. It was initially used to describe time intervals, and over the centuries, its usage evolved to denote simultaneity and contrast between events or actions.
The Split Second
Story
The Split Second
It was a busy Saturday afternoon. Emma and Sam had been planning their weekend for weeks, but it seemed like the day was slipping away faster than they could keep up. Emma was in the kitchen, preparing a delicious homemade pasta. Meanwhile, Sam was trying to assemble a new bookshelf that had arrived that morning, but the instructions were more confusing than they’d imagined. Sam glanced at Emma as she stirred the sauce. "You’re getting pretty good at this. Think we can open a restaurant?" he joked, his face buried in the manual. "Only if we can hire someone to do the assembly work," she replied with a smile. "Meanwhile, I need your help with the garlic bread." "Sure, give me a minute!" Sam muttered as he fumbled with the last few screws. Meanwhile, a loud thud echoed from the living room. Sam groaned. It seemed like the bookshelf had fallen over again. "Is everything alright in there?" Emma called out, wiping her hands on a towel. "Yeah, fine! Just a little setback," Sam responded, though his tone lacked confidence. Despite the frustration, Emma couldn’t help but laugh. "Well, we’ll eat before I help you with that, okay?" Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the bookshelf stood upright, and Emma placed the last dish of pasta on the table. "Meanwhile, I’d say we deserve a break. This was harder than I thought!" As they sat down to eat, both relieved to have accomplished something that day, they reflected on the simple joy of teamwork — even if the projects didn’t always go according to plan. "I can’t believe how much we’ve done," Sam said, scooping a forkful of pasta. "Meanwhile, I’m still not sure how you made this sauce so good." "It’s all about timing, my friend," Emma said, grinning. "That, and a little patience." In the end, the day wasn’t perfect, but the moments they spent together, working and laughing in parallel, made it feel like they’d accomplished something extraordinary after all.
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