fleeting

adjective

fleet·​ing ˈflē-tiŋ 

: passing swiftly : transitory

… the often fleeting nature of fame and fortune …

—Tom Sinclair

fleetingly

ˈflē-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

fleetingness noun

Synonyms

• flash
• brief
• temporary
• transient
• passing
• transitory
• ephemeral
• momentary
• evanescent

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

The 2022 season started well, giving fleeting hope of a title charge before Max Verstappen and Red Bull pulled clear. —Luke Smith, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025

Turner credits his success to his refusal to chase fleeting trends. —Wyles Daniel, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025

Will that mission weigh the needs of our community as equal to national political expedience, or is the safety of our people less important than fleeting political optics? —Keith Wilson, Time, 2 Oct. 2025

Mriya, which was slated to fly over Venice carrying a hard drive with a database including information on all the participating artists, casting a fleeting shadow over the Giardini. —Joanna Warsza, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fleeting

• beating
• bleating
• cheating
• eating
• greeting
• heating
• meeting
• seating
• sheeting
• sweeting
• treating
• accreting

Kids Definition

fleeting

adjective

fleet·​ing

ˈflēt-iŋ

: not lasting : passing swiftly

a fleeting glimpse