ephemeral

adjective ephem·er·al \ i-ˈfem-rəl , -ˈfēm- ; -ˈfe-mə- , -ˈfē- \

|Updated on: 6 Jun 2018

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Examples: ephemeral in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The Mayfly Helps To Illustrate ephemeral

Definition of ephemeral

1 : lasting a very short time

ephemeral pleasures

2 : lasting one day only

an ephemeral fever

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ephemerally

play \i-ˈfem-rə-lē, -ˈfēm-; -ˈfe-mə-, -ˈfē-\ adverb

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Examples of ephemeral in a Sentence

… several rather inflated pages of material about an ephemeral love affair Fitzgerald allegedly had with an English woman named Bijou … —Joyce Carol Oates, Times Literary Supplement, 5 Jan. 1996
As a consequence North Africa was easily reconquered by the Byzantine emperor in the 530s, and the Vandals' influence on North African development was ephemeral and negligible. —Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages, 1993
This accounts for the peculiar sense most observers have that the ephemeral, sensationalist, polymorphous, magpie popular culture of the United States is at bottom remarkably conservative … —Louis Menand, Harper's, March 1993
the autumnal blaze of colors is always to be treasured, all the more so because it is so ephemeral

Recent Examples of ephemeral from the Web

Both Olympics studiously avoided national colors in favor of vernacular ones, and Josten argues, emphasized the ephemeral.

— alexandra lange, Curbed, "Lessons from LA’s 1984 Summer Olympics," 17 May 2018
For most of his career, artist James Turrell’s preferred medium has been the ephemeral.

— scott craven, azcentral, "James Turrell: Artist transforming a Flagstaff crater has blazed a career in light, shadow and illusion," 16 May 2018
The interplay of glass and light is so ephemeral but the pieces themselves are enduring.

— genevieve bookwalter, chicagotribune.com, "Shout Out: Heather Hancock, health care worker turned glass artist," 11 May 2018
Nitrogen is the most ephemeral of the key plant nutrients.

— beth hanson, Good Housekeeping, "Grow Healthier Crops Using These Natural Nitrogen Sources," 24 Aug. 2015
Trendy pieces Trends are ephemeral, so please don't spend lots of money on a chevron armchair or a total copper kitchen revamp.

— jamie wiebe, House Beautiful, "Five Home Goods To Splurge On (And Five Places To Save)," 5 Nov. 2014
Salmon pink flowers are tiny and ephemeral, but the red and yellow bracts that surround them remain ornamental for months.

— karen dardick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Bromeliads create garden drama," 17 May 2018
The material that seemed to excite Hanway the most was naturally-occurring and ephemeral: sand.

— alexandra lange, Curbed, "Lessons from LA’s 1984 Summer Olympics," 17 May 2018
Standing amid the usual smiling, agreeable candidates for children’s birthday parties — alongside Disney princesses, superheroes and cartoon pooches — the Trump piñata looked too angry and ephemeral to have staying power.

— christopher borrelli, chicagotribune.com, "Trump piñatas a hit across cultures," 16 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ephemeral.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The Mayfly Helps To Illustrate ephemeral

The mayfly (order Ephemeroptera) typically hatches, matures, mates, and dies within the span of a few short hours (though the longest-lived species may survive a record two days); poets sometimes use this insect to symbolize life's ephemeral nature. When "ephemeral" (from the Greek word ephēmeros, meaning "lasting a day") first appeared in print in English in the late 16th century, it was a scientific term applied to short-term fevers, and later, to organisms (such as insects and flowers) with very short life spans. Soon after that, it acquired an extended sense referring to anything fleeting and short-lived (as in "ephemeral pleasures").

Origin and Etymology of ephemeral

Greek ephēmeros lasting a day, daily, from epi- + hēmera day

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First Known Use: 1576

in the meaning defined at sense 2

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ephemeral Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of ephemeral

transient, transitory, ephemeral, momentary, fugitive, fleeting, evanescent mean lasting or staying only a short time. transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.