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
In 2020, a team of astronomers observing GN-z11 reported a transient but brilliant flash of ultraviolet light. Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 22 Sep. 2025 Residence requires voluntary physical presence as a non-transient inhabitant; domicile requires both physical presence in a certain location and an intent to make that location the individual’s one permanent home. Tom Cullinan, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for transient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transient
Adjective
  • Stage two would see Gaza governed by a temporary transitional body consisting of a technocratic, apolitical committee composed of Palestinians and international members.
    Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2025
  • This temporary relocation ensures that the Nashville Fire Department can continue serving the community while creating the necessary space for the construction of a modern headquarters and fire station.
    Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The drifter who confessed to killing an inventor and his wife was executed Tuesday night, more than three decades after the double murder in their Miami business.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
  • In any case, these are Beckett’s drifters, no doubt, right down to the aching feet and bad breath.
    Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 Sep. 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
  • China’s new program is part of the country’s broader effort to open itself up, including attracting more foreign investment, international students, and tourists.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
  • This extra information could have saved the lives of tourists who overestimate their hiking resilience, unhoused people unsure of their options to cool down and senior citizens who wait too long to ask for help — all causes of heat deaths every summer in Arizona.
    Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Even brief closures have cost the economy billions of dollars.
    Nik Popli, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The Chinese navy already makes port calls in Myanmar, but these are brief stays in facilities too primitive to provide naval advantage.
    Dan Swift, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • He was placed on waivers and claimed by the Cubs in August 1958, setting off a vagabond career in the big leagues.
    Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Strait is a veteran of the genre known for his vagabond anthems and sweet love songs.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • At PortMiami on Thursday, several travelers express frustration over how the outbreak was managed by the cruise line.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Other cruise line travelers can also choose a four-night sail from Miami to Cozumel or three-day West Coast trips embarking from Los Angeles and sailing to Ensenada, Mexico.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Transient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transient. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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