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fleeting

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of fleeting

lasting only for a short time
  • I had a fleeting desire to jump into the cool lake but kept on hiking.
Synonyms of fleeting

brief, ephemeral, evanescent, flash, fugitive, impermanent, momentary, passing, short-lived, temporary, transient, transitory
Words Related to fleeting

little, short, shortish

acting, interim, provisional, short-term
Near Antonyms of fleeting

lifelong

continuing, durable, persistent

imperishable, indefectible, indestructible
Antonyms of fleeting

ceaseless, dateless, deathless, endless, enduring, eternal, everlasting, immortal, lasting, long-lived, permanent, perpetual, timeless, undying, unending

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

Learn More about fleeting

  1. See words that rhyme with fleeting Dictionary: Definition of fleeting Spanish Central: Translation of fleeting Nglish: Translation of fleeting for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fleeting for Arabic speakers

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