transient

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of transient are ephemeral, evanescent, fleeting, fugitive, momentary, and transitory. While all these words 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

When could ephemeral be used to replace transient?

The synonyms ephemeral and transient are sometimes interchangeable, but ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

Where would evanescent be a reasonable alternative to transient?

In some situations, the words evanescent and transient 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

How do fugitive and fleeting relate to one another, in the sense of transient?

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

In what contexts can momentary take the place of transient?

The words momentary and transient are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 transitory be a better fit than transient?

The words transitory and transient 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 transient
Adjective
Joseph Holland, a 58-year-old transient, was identified July 3, less than 24 hours after a graphic video was released publicly by San Diego County officials and carried on social media and local television news. Andrew J. Campa follow, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2025 He was identified by the coroner’s bureau Tuesday as Davinder Kumar, a 43-year-old Newark transient. Harry Harris, Mercury News, 24 June 2025
Noun
Her life felt transient, moving from Chicago; to Topanga, Calif.; to New Zealand, while her dad shot Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong film; and then to Dripping Springs, Texas, just 20 minutes outside of Austin proper. EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025 Statements from 2025 on the park service website, and other public messaging from wildlife officials, assert that Colorado has never supported a breeding population of moose – only the occasional transient visitor. John Wendt, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for transient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transient
Adjective
  • Those comments were encouraging given some of the temporary hiccups Nvidia experienced when shifting from the Hopper architecture to the Blackwell generation.
    , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2025
  • According to the New York Daily News, during his appearance, Mingus, 25, discussed with Judge Michelle Weber the terms of extending the temporary order of protection that was issued at his arraignment.
    Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Young, unemployed family man Nick (MacKay) volunteers to take the boat back out, along with taciturn, new-in-town drifter Liam (Turner) and grizzled seadog Murgey (Francis Magee).
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025
  • Entrants included everything from historic race cars to JDM drifters, time attack competition cars and off-roaders.
    Trinity Francis, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
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
Noun
  • Arundhati Roy identifies as a vagrant.
    Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Not long ago, vagrants stole my sister’s bikes.
    Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Lisbon brings in millions of tourists yearly, with the streetcar as one of its most popular attractions.
    Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2025
  • What To Know The Gloria Funicular, which first opened in 1885, is a popular Lisbon landmark for tourists, and can carry up to 42 people at a time.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The speech marked the foundation of an independent Vietnam after nearly a century of French colonial rule and a brief Japanese occupation during World War II, but the French did not recognise the new country and fought a decade-long war, which ended with their defeat in 1954.
    Phuong Nguyen, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
  • In brief, the basic issue is the Second Amendment in a secular country.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Strait is a veteran of the genre known for his vagabond anthems and sweet love songs.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Folk Rock Since the twenty-tens, the L.A. folk-rock band Lord Huron has offered a captivating take on Americana, filled with vagabonds and pariahs hoping to avoid haunted afterlives.
    Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • Porter thinks airport lounges can be part of what’s offered to travelers, and won’t go away.
    Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
  • Benefits for Charlotte with Middle Eastern nonstop The new route is expected to create opportunities for people in Charlotte, from leisure travelers to business professionals.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Transient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transient. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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