short-lived

adjective

ˈshȯrt-ˈlivd 

also

-ˈlīvd 

: not living or lasting long

short-lived insects

short-lived joy

Synonyms of short-lived

• brief
• temporary
• flash
• transient
• passing
• fleeting
• ephemeral

Examples of short-lived in a Sentence

the skier's triumph turned out to be short-lived, as the next competitor bested her time

Recent Examples on the Web

Clearing the uncertainty Neutron capture reactions are difficult to measure directly because recreating stellar conditions in the laboratory is hard; the reactions are infrequent, and the nuclei involved are short-lived. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026

But her time with the thoughtful gift would be short-lived, as another fan intercepted the throw and grabbed the towel from her clutches. — Alex Gonzalez, VIBE.com, 18 Sep. 2026

However, the effects were typically short-lived, occurring in the days and weeks after the explosion and confined to the area around ground zero, the test site. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2026

But advocates for people in poverty warned that the gains might be short-lived. — Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for short-lived

• outlived
• relived

Kids Definition

short-lived

adjective

ˈshȯrt-ˈlīvd, 

-ˌlivd

: living or lasting only a short time

short-lived blooms

short-lived joy