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

• brief
• deciduous
• ephemeral
• evanescent
• flash
• fugacious
• fugitive
• impermanent
• momentary
• passing
• short-lived
• temporary
• transient
• transitory

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 cooling-off period gives you time to evaluate whether the item is truly necessary or just a fleeting desire. —True Tamplin, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025

There are echoes of the original Max Schreck version in the look, but only fleeting echoes. —William Earl, Variety, 2 Jan. 2025

The feeling of validation and any kind of good feeling associated with it is so fleeting. —Skyler Caruso, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025

Hernandez’s displays, meanwhile, showed fleeting signs of recovery, yet this has been his worst season since the teething problems of his first campaign in Italy. —James Horncastle, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fleeting

adjective

fleet·​ing

ˈflēt-iŋ

: not lasting : passing swiftly

a fleeting glimpse