transitory

tran·si·to·ry

adjective \ˈtran(t)-sə-ˌtȯr-ē, ˈtran-zə-\

Definition of TRANSITORY

1

: tending to pass away : not persistent

2

: of brief duration : temporary <the transitory nature of earthly joy>

— tran·si·to·ri·ly \ˌtran(t)-sə-ˈtȯr-ə-lē, ˌtran-zə-\ adverb

— tran·si·to·ri·ness \ˈtran(t)-sə-ˌtȯr-ē-nəs, ˈtran-zə-\ noun

Examples of TRANSITORY

1. the transitory nature of earthly pleasures
2. <a transitory panic struck me when I realized that we had left the baby in the car>

Origin of TRANSITORY

Middle English transitorie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin transitorius, from Latin, of or allowing passage, from transire

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to TRANSITORY

Synonyms

brief, deciduous, ephemeral, evanescent, flash, fleeting, fugacious, fugitive, impermanent, passing, short-lived, temporary, transient, momentary

Antonyms

ceaseless, dateless, deathless, endless, enduring, eternal, everlasting, immortal, lasting, long-lived, permanent, perpetual, timeless, undying, unending

Related Words

little, short, shortish; acting, interim, provisional, short-term

Near Antonyms

lifelong; continuing, durable, persistent; imperishable, indefectible, indestructible

See Synonym Discussion at transient

Rhymes with TRANSITORY

a priori, allegory, amatory, auditory, bedtime story, cacciatore, castratory, category, con amore, cover story, crematory, damnatory, decretory, dilatory, dormitory, excretory, expletory, feudatory, fumitory, Göteborg, gustatory, gyratory, horror story, hortatory, hunky-dory, inventory, laudatory, lavatory, mandatory, migratory, minatory, monitory, Montessori, morning glory, nugatory, offertory, oratory, overstory, piscatory, precatory, predatory, prefatory, probatory, promissory, promontory, purgatory, repertory, Ruwenzori, signatory, statutory, sudatory, territory, understory, vibratory, vomitory, yakitori