Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of fleeting are ephemeral, evanescent, fugitive, momentary, transient, and transitory. While all these words mean "lasting or staying only a short time," fugitive and fleeting imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult.

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

In what contexts can ephemeral take the place of fleeting?

The words ephemeral and fleeting are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

Where would evanescent be a reasonable alternative to fleeting?

While the synonyms evanescent and fleeting are close in meaning, evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality.

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

When is it sensible to use momentary instead of fleeting?

The synonyms momentary and fleeting are sometimes interchangeable, 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

When might transient be a better fit than fleeting?

The meanings of transient and fleeting largely overlap; however, transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.

a hotel catering primarily to transient guests

When is transitory a more appropriate choice than fleeting?

The words transitory and fleeting can be used in similar contexts, but 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 fleeting For most student-athletes, a high school sports career is a fleeting chapter — one final run with childhood teammates before life pulls everyone in different directions. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 May 2025 This can create internal negativism or a fleeting depression. Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 28 May 2025 The challenge is for those moments to not be so fleeting. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 25 May 2025 Among the group is a pair of Black twins, whose professor mentions Mengele’s fixation with identical siblings, which both portends fleeting dramatic moments in the rest of the film, and also steeps this post-mortem study in dramatic irony. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for fleeting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fleeting
Adjective
  • Don’t let the lack of flash fool you — this guy is the real deal.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
  • The German figures come a day before the scheduled release of flash inflation data for the euro area, which will be closely watched by investors for guidance on the odds of another interest rate cut from the European Central Bank.
    Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2024
Adjective
  • Now, the better part of two weeks after tactical Officer Krystal Rivera died in the friendly fire incident, investigators are still searching for the suspect who sparked a brief foot pursuit that ultimately led to the fatal gunfire in a Chatham apartment building.
    Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
  • There’s likely a good movie somewhere on the cutting room floor, since these ideas make brief appearances, but that they’re seldom explored speaks to a film whose roughest edges have been sanded down.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • The judge also set a hearing on a request for a temporary restraining order for June 13 at the federal courthouse in Denver.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 7 June 2025
  • The aerospace giant's stock performance reflects this pattern: initial volatility followed by sustained gains as markets recognize the underlying strength of the business model and the temporary nature of most trade disruptions.
    Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • Others view Western supremacy as not only the source of much ill, but also inevitably transient.
    Abhijnan Rej, Christian Science Monitor, 11 June 2025
  • Police said the suspect was a transient man living in the area and was on probation.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • According to Ben Taylor’s Passer Rating metric, this past season was the best passing year of Robinson’s career – grading as a respectable 5.3 out of 10 (53rd percentile).
    Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • With each passing year, the anniversaries of key events in World War II serve as a reminder of our slow loss of a great generation of Americans.
    Medianews Group, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2025
Adjective
  • There’s a transitory nature in a lot of communities, so maybe people don’t feel as invested in them.
    Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2025
  • Reilly also credits the transitory nature of many residents for making Iowa City so welcoming.
    Diana Lambdin Meyer, USA Today, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • Episodes of natural selection are sometimes ephemeral, and evidence of them vanishes from our genomes when the selective pressures subside or when populations mix.
    Kermit Pattison, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
  • Build ephemeral content tools (think generative UX/design, chatbots, auto summaries, etc.) to allow readers to engage in personal ways.
    Dan Gardner, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Then, a momentary explosion of what appears to be a flash-bang grenade sends smoke floating through the street.
    Alina Selyukh, NPR, 31 May 2025
  • Clients and stakeholders recognize when your ideas are grounded in ongoing work and reflection, not just momentary marketing.
    Rhea Wessel, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fleeting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fleeting. Accessed 21 Jun. 2025.

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