Learn English – Particular Moment of Understanding

phrase-usageword-usage

In a formal document, I want to mention something which I was not able to understand for a long time. After that time, I had learnt some other thing and suddenly click! and I understood the other also.

So I want to say something like, I had the click moment. But I am not sure if this sounds natural and appropriate to use. What would you use for that?

Best Answer

The formal word I can think of is epiphany:

epiphany
3 a (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking (3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure
b : a revealing scene or moment

Definition of epiphany for English Language Learners
: a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way

(M-W)

It depends on the context, but usually the verb click is used, as opposed to click moment. For example, "And then it clicked! I realized why X worked." It's informal.

click verb (BECOME CLEAR)
[I] infml to be understood or become clear suddenly:
Something clicked, and I remembered where I’d seen her before.

(Cambridge Dictionary)

Another informal phrase using moment is "aha moment":

Definition of aha moment
: a moment of sudden realization, inspiration, insight, recognition, or comprehension

  • The aha moment you experience when you've been trying to remember the name of a song and three hours later it hits you … — Jeffrey Kluger

(M-W)

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