SHORT LIVED Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

short-lived

adjective

ˈshȯrt-ˈlivd

Definition of short-lived

as in brief

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

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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 short-lived There were at least two attempts to start a league in the 1990s, but each one was short-lived. — Jay Cohen, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026 The cooler weather will be short-lived, though, as temperatures return to the 90s next week. — Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s visit to the UK was short-lived, but royal enthusiasts continue to dissect the trip. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 30 July 2026 But as temperatures approached 104 degrees Wednesday afternoon and winds strengthened, the reprieve threatened to be short-lived. — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for short-lived

Recent Examples of Synonyms for short-lived

Adjective

That will be followed by a brief break, before returning to the field in August and aligning to the traditional autumn-to-spring schedule most of the world’s top leagues observe.

— John Cassillo, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Before her brief appearance, Ned and MJ are in a tense standoff with Peter, who just emerged from the multiverse to help save their universe’s Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland.

— Jack Dunn, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of brief

Adjective

In 2025, Sunshine Health issued a temporary pause on adding practitioners to make sure the state's network providers are all credentialed.

— Larry Seward, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Established by Congress in 1990, TPS gives temporary protection to people who don’t feel safe returning to countries plagued by disaster or armed conflict such as El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.

— Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 30 July 2026

Definition of temporary

Adjective

Parts of Connecticut and New York, including the Albany area, remained under flash-flood warnings on Wednesday morning.

— Kenton Gewecke, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Slow-moving storms may pose flash-flood risks across large portions of North, West, Central, South and East Texas beginning on Sunday, June 12, with the main threats expected early to mid-week.

— Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Definition of flash

Adjective

These facilities can support fuel qualification, materials testing, transient behavior studies, and other technical work needed before a first-of-a-kind reactor can enter service.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
Unionization is challenging with a large, disparate and transient group of athletes.

— Justin Williams, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Definition of transient

Adjective

While big-money additions like outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips and inside linebacker Devin Lloyd are expected to excel, the Panthers have also seen some young defenders step up in the passing game.

— Mike Kaye July 31, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
The appearance of a stale passing game could always be freshened, sure, but even that’s rooted in what is more obviously a stale running game.

— Sam McDowell July 31, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026

Definition of passing

Adjective

This time, the moon’s shadow will sweep from northern Russia across Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean, Spain and a tiny corner of Portugal, offering millions in Europe another chance to witness the fleeting phenomenon of totality.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
That gives scientists a rare and fleeting insight into the connection that exists between matter falling to the maw of a black hole and the material being blasted out at near light-speed as jets of plasma.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of fleeting

Adjective

Traditional cybersecurity, particularly Zero Trust's reliance on identity, is insufficient for these autonomous, ephemeral agents.

— Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
The works are considered an exclamatory response to the institutional question of how to collect and display dance, a typically ephemeral form.

— News Desk, Artforum, 29 July 2026

Definition of ephemeral

Browse Nearby Words

shortish

short-lived

shortly

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“Short-lived.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/short-lived. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of short-lived

adjective

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