Definition of FLEETING

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

Like summer, so fleeting in our city, was already slipping away. — Cindy Dampier, chicagotribune.com, "Looking for the Humboldt Gator? You can hit him up on Twitter," 11 July 2019 There have been fleeting moments when Graham appeared to have a deal-making ally in the White House, such as an Oval Office meeting on a Tuesday afternoon in January 2018, when Trump agreed to an immigration compromise Democrats could support. — Steven T. Dennis, Fortune, "Why Trump Ally Lindsey Graham Is Also the Democrats' Go-To Guy," 7 June 2019 The molecular picture also helps explain why the pentaquarks, although fleeting, appear to be more stable than expected, Karliner says. — Adrian Cho, Science | AAAS, "Exotic particles called pentaquarks may be less weird than previously thought," 5 June 2019 But the process of memorializing fleeting moments of ungainly success—on the badminton court, the basketball court, the soccer field—had a curiously deflating effect. — Ben Mcgrath, The New Yorker, "The Brooklyn Startup Helping High-School Athletes Go Viral," 30 May 2019 If the novel, as Stendhal famously said, is a mirror moving along a roadway, a short story might be said to be a glimpse in a rearview mirror, small and intense in concentration, capturing what is fleeting, finite. — The New York Review of Books, "Joyce Carol Oates," 9 May 2019 The woman behind @meganrapino realizes this kind of social media fame is fleeting and figures her life will go back to normal very soon. — Chuck Schilken, latimes.com, "Trump thought he was tagging Megan Rapinoe; instead he got a 21-year-old K-pop fan," 27 June 2019 Protect funds: Find purpose in your job or your dollars could be fleeting. — Sonja Marie, Essence, "Gemini, Mind Your Money! Here Are June 2019 Horoscopes For All," 6 June 2019 Cherry Blossom Cherry blossom season may be fleeting, but South Koreans extend it through late spring and summer by dyeing their hair petal pink. — Devon Abelman, Allure, "The Top Hair-Color Trends in South Korea for 2019, According to Seoul's Biggest Hairstylists," 4 May 2019

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.