fleeting

adjective fleet·ing \ ˈflē-tiŋ \

Definition of fleeting

:passing swiftly :transitory

… the often fleeting nature of fame and fortune …
—Tom Sinclair

—

fleetingly

play \ˈflē-tiŋ-lē\ adverb

—

fleetingness

noun

See fleeting defined for English-language learners

See fleeting defined for kids

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 of fleeting from the Web

Affleck now seems to represent all people as seen from a cosmic vantage point—a fleeting presence defined by its inability to make an impact on the universe as a whole.

— ben sachs, Chicago Reader, "Film / Paranormal A Ghost Story is a haunting film about haunting," 14 July 2017
Dandong city is the main crossing point to North Korea, and every day hundreds of tourists embark on small boats for a cruise on the Yalu border river and a fleeting glimpse of another world.

— bill powell, MSNBC Newsweek, "Will Trump Stop the 10 Chinese Companies Supplying North Korea's Nuclear Program?," 13 July 2017
Suddenly the Trump - Xi tryst looks as fleeting as a Taylor Swift fling.

— clay chandler, Fortune, "A fine bromance: For Trump and China’s Xi, is Hamburg the end of the affair?," 8 July 2017
Or is the red, white, and blue tradition gone already, as fleeting in the pop culture firmament as a fireworks display?

— hilary weaver, Vanities, "Taylor Swift’s Dad Was the Only One Who Kept Her Fourth of July Tradition Alive," 5 July 2017
The summer job, like the season and its velvety nights, is temporary if not fleeting.

— Time, "Where Did America's Summer Jobs Go?," 29 June 2017
Each time another fleeting internet celebrity bubbled to the surface, and was found to have a problematic history, the phenomenon was rejoined.

— luke o'neil, Esquire, "A Conversation with the Guy Who Invented the Milkshake Duck Meme," 24 June 2017
Presidents prefer memorials to their lasting accomplishments, not their most fleeting.

— peter baker, New York Times, "Can Trump Destroy Obama’s Legacy?," 23 June 2017
But after a very fleeting rally, prices have nose-dived.

— rob nikolewski, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Yes, California's got cheap gasoline — under $3," 21 June 2017

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.

First Known Use of fleeting

1563

fleeting Synonyms

Synonyms

brief, deciduous, ephemeral, evanescent, flash, momentary, 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 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

FLEETING Defined for English Language Learners

fleeting

adjective

Definition of fleeting for English Language Learners

: not lasting : lasting for only a short time

FLEETING Defined for Kids

fleeting

adjective fleet·ing \ ˈflē-tiŋ \

Definition of fleeting for Students

:passing by quickly

a fleeting instant

Learn More about fleeting

See words that rhyme with fleeting Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fleeting Spanish Central: Translation of fleeting Nglish: Translation of fleeting for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fleeting for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

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

show

fleeting

Definition of fleeting

fleetingly

fleetingness

From the M-W Editors

Examples of fleeting in a Sentence

Recent Examples of fleeting from the Web

First Known Use of fleeting

fleeting Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of fleeting

FLEETING Defined for English Language Learners

fleeting

Definition of fleeting for English Language Learners

FLEETING Defined for Kids

fleeting

Definition of fleeting for Students

Learn More about fleeting

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066