fleeting

adjective

fleet·ing | \ ˈflē-tiŋ

Definition of fleeting

: passing swiftly : transitory … the often fleeting nature of fame and fortune …— Tom Sinclair

Other Words from fleeting Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about fleeting

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Choose the Right Synonym for fleeting

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

Examples of fleeting in a Sentence

I caught a fleeting glimpse of the comet. had a fleeting desire to jump into the cool lake but kept on hiking

Recent Examples on the Web

This inevitably puts the rights of multibillion dollar companies to control every fleeting use of their intellectual property far above an average user's right to not be censored by an algorithm that's looking out for Disney's bottom line. — Eric Limer, Popular Mechanics, "EU Passes New Copyright Rules That Could Have a Disastrous Effect," 26 Mar. 2019 However fleeting, flowers can lift your spirits and connect you to nature. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "How One Celebrity Florist Brings Flowers into the Home for Spring," 19 Mar. 2019 For the 2018 Dodgers, joy is fleeting and heartache feels endless. — Andy Mccullough, latimes.com, "Dodgers rally but bullpen falters in 6-5 loss to Marlins," 17 May 2018 Some trends transcend time, while others are more fleeting. — Maya Allen, Marie Claire, "Beyoncé's Makeup Artist Says These Will Be the Coolest Makeup Trends of 2019," 23 Jan. 2019 But for Umm Ahmed—who, for fear of retribution, asked to be identified only as umm, the Arabic word for mother, and Ahmed, the first name of her 14-year-old son—the memory is fleeting. — Sophia Jones, Marie Claire, "The Truth About The Wives of ISIS," 4 Oct. 2018 Drivers heading north on I-5, just before the James Street exit sign, can catch a fleeting glimpse of its graceful, broad-rounded crown of branches that sweep downward to the ground. — Erik Lacitis, The Seattle Times, "‘It has a story to tell’: How a descendant of Napoleon’s willow tree took root on a Seattle hillside," 30 Oct. 2018 The Orioles introduced top draft choice Grayson Rodriguez to the media late Tuesday afternoon, providing a fleeting glimpse of the team’s long-term future. — Peter Schmuck, baltimoresun.com, "Schmuck: If Duquette is ready to focus on future and there's significant interest in Machado, what's the Orioles' holdup?," 13 June 2018 There is a fleeting moment in the last episode, barely a postscript, that reveals that the nonprofit The Innocence Project freed another man wrongfully imprisoned in Ada. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, "Is the True-Crime Fever Breaking? Watching Netflix’s John Grisham Documentary The Innocent Man," 14 Dec. 2018

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