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noun

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of fugitive are ephemeral, evanescent, fleeting, 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

When is ephemeral a more appropriate choice than fugitive?

The meanings of ephemeral and fugitive largely overlap; however, ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

When is it sensible to use evanescent instead of fugitive?

In some situations, the words evanescent and fugitive are roughly equivalent. However, 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 can momentary be used instead of fugitive?

While in some cases nearly identical to fugitive, 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

Where would transient be a reasonable alternative to fugitive?

The words transient and fugitive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.

a hotel catering primarily to transient guests

In what contexts can transitory take the place of fugitive?

The words transitory and fugitive 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 fugitive
Adjective
Produced by genre mainstay Blumhouse, the action-horror hybrid stars Kevin Bacon in the titular role as Hub Halloran, a fugitive hunter who abruptly switches employers when he’s murdered and brought back to life. Alison Herman, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025 Contrasting global strategies On the international stage, Noboa has taken a pragmatic but bold approach, exemplified by his controversial decision to send police into Mexico’s embassy to arrest a fugitive politician, straining Ecuador-Mexico relations. Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
Listen to this article The U.S. government is offering a reward of up to $35,000 for information leading to the arrest of a man wanted for the killing of the Tijuana chief of a state police unit that searches for U.S. fugitives, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico said Friday on social media. Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025 Esparza Reyes had led the regional team of the unit for eight years, carrying out more than 400 operations aimed at arresting U.S. fugitives who had fled to Mexico. Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fugitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fugitive
Adjective
  • To date, a mere 13 horses have secured the elusive title.
    Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025
  • As for media appearances, Belichick has been known to be historically, unapologetically elusive — but also occasionally funny.
    Steve Buckley, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
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
  • Leslie Patrick is a freelance writer who splits her time between South Korea and a nomadic life of slow traveling around the globe.
    Leslie Patrick, AFAR Media, 15 Apr. 2025
  • One such program, overseen by Dr. Steven John, an official at the Ministry of Health in Adamawa State, Nigeria, was implementing TB health care for nomadic populations there.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Eventually the aliens will slip up and do something unhuman a little too nonchalantly.
    Bluesky Social, Bluesky Social, 22 Apr. 2025
  • By the time the third movie in the franchise rolls around, the zombies, cheerleaders, and werewolves face off with a group of invading aliens with uncertain intentions and (no spoilers) an unexpected secret about Addison’s true identity is revealed.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Putin announced a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine starting Saturday, citing humanitarian reasons.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed skepticism over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement Saturday that Russia would observe a temporary ceasefire during the Easter holiday.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Israeli officials have rejected that definition, arguing that descendants don’t qualify as refugees and thus don’t have the right to return to their ancestral homes in what is now Israel.
    Eugenia Yosef and Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2025
  • What might destroy our society is not immigrants or refugees or Palestinians or women seeking abortions or trans people or any of the other assorted others that have been posited as undermining American society.
    Viet Thanh Nguyễn, Time, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The acceptance of life’s transient nature is crucial for psychological well-being.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Read Next: Cougar Kittens Confirmed in Michigan for the First Time in a Century Wildlife experts believe that the lions seen in Oklahoma are mostly transient animals rather than full-time Sooner residents.
    Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Inflation gauge cools ahead of Trump's tariffs, but spending climbs A key measure of inflation eased in March, offering a brief reprieve before President Donald Trump's new tariffs begin taking full effect.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The main threats will be damaging winds and large hail, but brief tornadoes can't be ruled out.
    Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fugitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fugitive. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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