ephemeral

play

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

Definition of ephemeral

1 :lasting one day only

an ephemeral fever

2 :lasting a very short time

ephemeral pleasures

—

ephemerally

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

See ephemeral defined for English-language learners

See ephemeral defined for kids

ephemeral was our Word of the Day on 02/21/2013. Hear the podcast!

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

The first half of the film, which mocks emoji and other shallow, ephemeral forms of engagement, shapes up to be a satire of contemporary communication and the fruit-fly-fleeting nature of cultural discourse.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "'Ingrid Goes West' movie review: Aubrey Plaza shines in uneven social-media satire," 25 Aug. 2017
By comparison, Snap (snap, -2.14%) said in its first earnings report ever in May that its users spent an average of 30 minutes per day on the ephemeral messaging app in the first quarter.

— rachel king, Fortune, "The Popularity of Instagram Stories Presents a Dire Challenge for Snap," 2 Aug. 2017
Sea ice, for instance – the relatively ephemeral floating icebergs in both the Antarctic and Arctic that form when ocean water freezes – is much more significant in the Arctic, which lacks a continent at the pole, than in the Antarctic.

— amanda paulson, The Christian Science Monitor, "Antarctica’s big break: What role for climate change?," 12 July 2017
The ephemeral photo app, which finds its strongest advocates among teenage girls, took a tumble Tuesday after Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter for Snap’s March IPO, downgraded the stock.

— alan murray, Fortune, "CEO Daily: Wednesday, 12th July," 12 July 2017
Note: While this list considers the traditional core dining metrics (food, service, value and atmosphere) of the best restaurants, great weight is placed on an ephemeral quality that the entertainment industry treasures: the buzz factor.

— gary baum, The Hollywood Reporter, "Where Hollywood Eats: L.A.'s 20 Hottest Restaurants Right Now (July 2017)," 7 July 2017
The ardent dogmatism of 1917 seems almost unimaginable today; politics are flickering and ephemeral, menacing but ridiculous.

— sophie pinkham, New Republic, "How a Russian Street Art Museum Defies Kremlin Censors," 3 July 2017
But industry veterans have been around long enough to know that profits are ephemeral, especially in an environment as uncertain as Lebanon’s.

— philip issa, The Seattle Times, "Lebanon sees tourism rebound as turmoil swallows region," 2 July 2017
Snap, creator of ephemeral messaging app Snapchat, is giving its video-recording Spectacles dispenser a semi-permanent home near Chicago this summer.

— amina elahi, chicagotribune.com, "Snap drops Spectacles vending machine at Woodfield Mall for summer," 29 June 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1576

See Words from the same year

ephemeral Synonyms

Synonyms

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

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

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.

- a hotel catering primarily to transient guests

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

ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

- many slang words are ephemeral

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

fugitive and fleeting imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult.

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

evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality.

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

ephemeral

play

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

Definition of ephemeral

:something that lasts for a very short time :something ephemeral; specifically :a plant that grows, flowers, and dies in a few days

Recent Examples of ephemeral from the Web

Spring ephemerals bloom before tree leaves block the sunlight from reaching the forest floor.

— cleveland.com, "Medina County Park District Wildflower Challenge ends June 1 (photos, video)," 8 May 2017
Early-blooming wildflowers called spring ephemerals – such as spring beauty, yellow trout lily, marsh marigold, and more – pop up in fields and woods across Northeast Ohio during early spring.

— cleveland.com, "Medina County Park District Wildflower Challenge ends June 1 (photos, video)," 8 May 2017
Like all spring ephemerals, the clock is always ticking for the wood anemone.

— dave taft, New York Times, "On Forest Floors, Wood Anemone Provides a Burst of Spring," 26 Apr. 2017
The timing of this fleeting wildflower, as with other spring ephemerals, is critical to the balance of the ecosystem.

— National Geographic, "These Animals Live in the Most Powerful City in the World," 24 Apr. 2016

Origin and Etymology of ephemeral

see ¹ephemeral

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1807

See Words from the same year

Other Botany Terms

annual, burgeon, chloroplast, nomenclature, succulent, sylvan, xylem

EPHEMERAL Defined for English Language Learners

ephemeral

play

adjective

Definition of ephemeral for English Language Learners

: lasting a very short time

Medical Dictionary

ephemeral

play

adjective ephem·er·al \ i-ˈfem(-ə)-rəl , -ˈfēm- \

medical Definition of ephemeral

:lasting a very short time

Learn More about ephemeral

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ephemeral Spanish Central: Translation of ephemeral Nglish: Translation of ephemeral for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ephemeral for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ephemeral

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up ephemeral? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

ephemeral

Definition of ephemeral

ephemerally

From the M-W Editors

ephemeral was our Word of the Day on 02/21/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of ephemeral in a Sentence

Recent Examples of ephemeral from the Web

The Mayfly Helps To Illustrate ephemeral

Origin and Etymology of ephemeral

ephemeral Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of ephemeral

ephemeral

Definition of ephemeral

Recent Examples of ephemeral from the Web

Origin and Etymology of ephemeral

Other Botany Terms

EPHEMERAL Defined for English Language Learners

ephemeral

Definition of ephemeral for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

ephemeral

medical Definition of ephemeral

Learn More about ephemeral

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066