five minutes
Quick errand's duration
Five minutes is literally 300 seconds, but in casual speech it rarely means exactly that.
I'll be ready in five minutes usually means soon but not immediately—anywhere from two to twenty minutes.
The phrase functions as a rough estimate of brief duration: Can I have five minutes of your time?
The store is five minutes away.
- briefShort in duration
- momentBrief period of time
- quickMoving with speed
- shortOf limited extent
- hold onWait or maintain grip
wait · pause · be right back · snooze button · timer · egg timer · countdown · break · quick break · microwave · intermission · commercial break · hurry · rush · running late · tick · clock · soon
- walking distancesblock, blocks, city block, quarter mile, half mile
- speed datingtime limit, rotations, rounds, round, matches
- congressional hearingscommittee, confirmation hearings, subcommittee, legislative hearings, witnesses
- hearingscongressional hearing, congressional hearings, committee hearing, confirmation hearing, public hearings
- open micamateur night, comedy night, emcee, first-timer, mic stand
- theaterplays, stage, play, onstage, acting
five minutesnever
At no point
indefinitely · whenever · eventually · someday · when pigs fly
five minutesforever
For all time
ages · all day long · hours · never · when pigs fly
five, minute, minutes, fives, fifths, fifteen, fifteenth, fiftieth, minutely