short-lived

adjective

ˈshȯrt-ˈlivd 

also

-ˈlīvd 

: not living or lasting long

short-lived insects

short-lived joy

Synonyms of short-lived

• brief
• temporary
• flash
• transient
• passing
• fleeting
• ephemeral

Examples of short-lived in a Sentence

the skier's triumph turned out to be short-lived, as the next competitor bested her time

Recent Examples on the Web

Elon Musk’s first run as the world’s only trillionaire was short-lived. — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

And even then, that heat would be short-lived if the trough lingers around with cooler air to come. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026

While the director tears his hair out, the producers see the footage and sign the Minions on the spot, but their fame is short-lived with the arrival of the talkies. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 June 2026

The celebration was short-lived, however, with Argentine referee Darío Herrera taking the goal off the board when a lengthy video review determined Taremi to be offside. — Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for short-lived

• outlived
• relived

Kids Definition

short-lived

adjective

ˈshȯrt-ˈlīvd, 

-ˌlivd

: living or lasting only a short time

short-lived blooms

short-lived joy