Synonym Chooser

How is the word fleeting different from other adjectives like it?

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.

let a fugitive smile flit across his face
fleeting moments of joy

In what contexts can ephemeral take the place of fleeting?

The words ephemeral and fleeting are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

Where would evanescent be a reasonable alternative to fleeting?

While the synonyms evanescent and fleeting are close in meaning, evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality.

the story has an evanescent touch of whimsy that is lost in translation

When is it sensible to use momentary instead of fleeting?

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.

my feelings of guilt were only momentary

When might transient be a better fit than fleeting?

The meanings of transient and fleeting largely overlap; however, transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.

a hotel catering primarily to transient guests

When is transitory a more appropriate choice than fleeting?

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.

fame in the movies is transitory

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fleeting Nevertheless, there is a fleeting moment that suggests Jacob might be open to answering the call of one harbinger of the future — a landline phone. Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025 What guide Joe Thompson found Feb. 12 on the Isle of Wight was much more fleeting. Mark Price, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025 Challenges are fleeting, and perseverance and consistency through adversity often lead to long-term success. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025 In the ever-evolving landscape of e-commerce, Woot stands out with its unique model of fleeting deals and substantial discounts. Gabriela Vatu, PCMAG, 18 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fleeting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fleeting
Adjective
  • The German figures come a day before the scheduled release of flash inflation data for the euro area, which will be closely watched by investors for guidance on the odds of another interest rate cut from the European Central Bank.
    Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2024
  • Residents who live near the intersection where the accident occurred said the flash mobs of street takeovers have become weekly occurrences in their neighborhood.
    Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022
Adjective
  • The world in brief Expert claims Russia violating rights BANGUI, Central African Republic -- An independent investigator is claiming United Nations peacekeeping forces and Russian mercenaries are carrying out human rights violations in the Central African Republic.
    Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 1 Mar. 2025
  • The Kurdish people have had a complicated relationship with Erdogan, who courted them during his early years in power by granting them more rights and reversing restrictions on the use of their language, and worked on the brief peace process with the PKK.
    Eyad Kourdi, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In that scenario, patches would begin appearing on jerseys almost immediately, and temporary signage would be installed on the stadium currently known as Nationals Park within a few weeks.
    Brett Knight, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • The creation of a temporary Palestinian administration of 15 to 20 people is being discussed, including with Israel.
    Aya Batrawy, NPR, 3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Revenue from the hotel room tax known as transient occupancy tax or TOT increased from $19.1 million to $19.7 million, or 3%.
    Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2025
  • The environment, lifestyle changes, and short-term fluctuations such as transient illnesses or restless sleep impact that day and the following two weeks!
    Luciana Paulise, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The media scrutiny on Forest has increased exponentially with each passing week that their unexpected Champions League qualification challenge has been maintained.
    Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
  • The Toyota was pushed into the far left lane, and debris from the crash damaged a passing Mercedes.
    Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Related Articles Now, Detroit, which has gone from one of the league’s most disappointing teams to its one of its hottest after hiring a name-brand coach in Todd McLellan, cleared some salary cap space ahead of the trade deadline, while the Ducks plugged a transitory hole in their goalie pipeline.
    Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Some Republican economists also dismissed the idea that the fiscal stimulus would be inflationary, and financial markets suggested that investors believed that inflation would be transitory.
    Jason Furman, Foreign Affairs, 10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Castro’s relationship to Camacho is peculiar, in the way that not many in the industry had the chance to meet this ephemeral talent.
    Griselda Flores, Billboard, 25 Feb. 2025
  • The first wave of such video art involved documenting performances, dance being after all an ephemeral art form.
    Beatrice Loayza, ARTnews.com, 6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Whether from a momentary injury that knocks the wind out of you, swimming underwater for too long or recovering after sprinting at full speed, anyone who has struggled to fill their lungs with oxygen knows how scary the feeling can be.
    Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The county lawsuit also cites a filing Edison made with state regulators revealing that the transmission lines over Eaton Canyon saw a momentary increase of electrical current at about the same time the Eaton fire ignited on Jan. 7.
    Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fleeting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fleeting. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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