Synonym Chooser

How is the word ephemeral different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of ephemeral are evanescent, fleeting, fugitive, momentary, transient, and transitory. While all these words mean "lasting or staying only a short time," ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

When would evanescent be a good substitute for ephemeral?

The words evanescent and ephemeral are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality.

the story has an evanescent touch of whimsy that is lost in translation

How are the words fugitive and fleeting related as synonyms of ephemeral?

Both fugitive and fleeting imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult.

let a fugitive smile flit across his face
fleeting moments of joy

When could momentary be used to replace ephemeral?

The words momentary and ephemeral can be used in similar contexts, but 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

In what contexts can transient take the place of ephemeral?

The synonyms transient and ephemeral are sometimes interchangeable, but transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.

a hotel catering primarily to transient guests

When can transitory be used instead of ephemeral?

In some situations, the words transitory and ephemeral are roughly equivalent. However, 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ephemeral Embellishments are cropping up not just in contemporary furnishings but in ephemeral accessories. Adrian Madlener, Curbed, 13 Sep. 2025 For two days, climbers and onlookers gathered around a 45-foot wall—an ephemeral monument suspended above water—where the edges between sport, spectacle, and cultural communion blurred. Skylar Mitchell, Essence, 9 Sep. 2025 Stage acting is the most ephemeral of the classical performing arts. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025 For the new generation of creatives immersed in a world that rushes forward and often rewards the ephemeral, Armani remains a solid point of reference. Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ephemeral
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ephemeral
Adjective
  • What To Know A map shared by the NWS on Facebook showed a broad corridor of flash-flood risk spanning the Western states and Southern Plains.
    Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
  • The emerging miners, exposed directly to the flash during its first split second, were covered in flash-absorbing black.
    Charles Pellegrino, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • But the building feels temporary, with United having previously discussed removing it.
    Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The goal is to get a congress of 15, with at least eight members coming from Cincinnati's homeless shelters and seven representing people who live outdoors or in temporary housing.
    Elizabeth B. Kim, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Even brief closures have cost the economy billions of dollars.
    Nik Popli, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The Chinese navy already makes port calls in Myanmar, but these are brief stays in facilities too primitive to provide naval advantage.
    Dan Swift, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The recent brightening could be a transient outburst rather than a steady increase as the comet approaches to the sun, only time will tell.
    Anthony Wood, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • These voltage changes are known as transient faults and are the difference in measured voltage between consecutive readings.
    Chiara Eisner, NPR, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • There was a fleeting moment after Johnson’s second touchdown — a bullet from Dart into a tight window that the second-year tight end impressively snagged — that allowed one to wonder if the Giants’ fortunes were finally changing.
    Dan Duggan, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Unapologetically tense with zero filter, this transit tests boundaries, forcing us to confront what is sustainable versus what is simply fleeting.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The raw sewage rises to the surface, adding to the unbearable stink, which spreads and worsens with every passing day.
    Eli Sharabi, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Going into the game against the Gators, Manning has 888 passing yards and nine touchdown passes.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • From their perspective, a star is just a transitory stage, a chrysalis.
    Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 24 Sep. 2025
  • All empires are transitory, right?
    Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Still, this is evanescent stuff, hardly weighty enough to get mad about with respect to the aforementioned problematic areas.
    Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
  • The benefits of being a statesman, analysts say, can be evanescent if domestic woes keep piling up.
    Mark Landler, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ephemeral.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ephemeral. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on ephemeral

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