aha moment

noun

, Informal.

1. 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

noun

1. an instant at which the solution to a problem becomes clear

Word History and Origins

Origin of aha moment¹

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

Example Sentences

Fullerton’s ‘aha!’ moment came last year, when her twin 4-year-olds watched Disney’s “A Bug’s Life” in their TK class, and the school administration described it as “a science lesson.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Sometimes it’s easy to turn things into a puzzle. I always try to be more experience-focused. Like, is this going to enhance your experience to have this puzzle? is there going to be an ‘aha moment’ or a moment of delight, or is it going to lead to, ‘Oh great, now I have to put a lot of work into this puzzle?’

From Los Angeles Times

“That was my aha moment, my come-to-Jesus moment,” said Glosserman, 72.

From Los Angeles Times

Her big aha moment came after meeting with Janine Kyrillos, director of the Comprehensive Weight Management Program at Jefferson Health in Pennsylvania.

From Slate

There’s been this collective aha moment in the country where people who are 65 are saying I’m going to live until I’m 90.

From New York Times