fleeting
adjective
Tom Sinclair 
Synonyms
- brief
- deciduous
- ephemeral
- evanescent
- flash
- fugacious
- fugitive
- impermanent
- momentary
- passing
- short-lived
- temporary
- transient
- transitory
Example Sentences
Rick Klein, ABC News, 12 Sep. 2022 Telluria is a story with no happy endings, but moments of fleeting relief. Aaron Timms, The New Republic, 2 Sep. 2022 For many people, crying after orgasm is nothing more than a surprising and fleeting reaction. Colleen De Bellefonds, SELF, 29 Aug. 2022 As front offices get deeper into controlling in-game decisions, job security for managers has become fleeting. Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2022 No other people, in a world-class place like Alaska, my bear spray tucked into my backpack and views that many people treasure during fleeting, weeklong vacations. Alli Harvey, Anchorage Daily News, 21 Aug. 2022 At moments like these, we are reminded that life is both precious and fleeting. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 18 Aug. 2022 The spirit has a fleeting heat that’s gone by the time the shot has slipped down your throat. David Shortell, Bon Appétit, 18 Aug. 2022 Core inflation excludes energy and food prices, which tend to go up and down based on fleeting issues. Nate Dicamillo, Quartz, 16 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
1563, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
fleeting
adjective
fleeting
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- flash
- brief
- temporary
- transient
- transitory
- ephemeral
- momentary
- passing
- evanescent
- short
- impermanent
- short-lived
- fugacious
- little
- deciduous
- fugitive
- acting
- short-term
- interim
- provisional
- shortish
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- lasting
- permanent
- eternal
- enduring
- everlasting
- timeless
- unending
- endless
- deathless
- immortal
- perpetual
- undying
- lifelong
- ceaseless
- persistent
- long-lived
- durable
- dateless
- continuing
- indestructible
- imperishable
- indefectible
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of fleeting are ephemeral, evanescent, fugitive, momentary, transient, and transitory. While all these words mean "lasting or staying only a short time," fugitive and fleeting imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult.
The words ephemeral and fleeting are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.
While the synonyms evanescent and fleeting are close in meaning, evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality.
The synonyms momentary and fleeting are sometimes interchangeable, but momentary suggests coming and going quickly and therefore being merely a brief interruption of a more enduring state.
The meanings of transient and fleeting largely overlap; however, transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.
The words transitory and fleeting can be used in similar contexts, but transitory applies to what is by its nature or essence bound to change, pass, or come to an end.