Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of transitory are ephemeral, evanescent, fleeting, fugitive, momentary, and transient. While all these words mean "lasting or staying only a short time," 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

When could ephemeral be used to replace transitory?

Although the words ephemeral and transitory have much in common, ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

When is evanescent a more appropriate choice than transitory?

The meanings of evanescent and transitory largely overlap; 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 transitory?

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

When would momentary be a good substitute for transitory?

While in some cases nearly identical to transitory, 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

In what contexts can transient take the place of transitory?

While the synonyms transient and transitory are close in meaning, transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay.

a hotel catering primarily to transient guests

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 transitory The city’s inherent transitory nature means there’s always a flow of people coming and going, both domestically and internationally, which makes D.C. ripe for this kind of quiet space for a meeting, political or otherwise. William Goodman, Robb Report, 1 May 2025 Economists who initially expected price increases to be transitory were surprised at inflationary pressures that lingered for years. Ana Swanson, New York Times, 1 May 2025 The Trump administration’s assurance that the American economy will experience a transitory period is a promise greatly supported by America’s leading Technology and Information sector. Lawrence Wintermeyer, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025 But on Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell labeled the potential effect of tariffs on inflation as likely being short-lived or transitory. Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for transitory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for transitory
Adjective
  • Even with the temporary pause, abrupt policy changes have left some business owners tapping into personal savings, postponing expansions and in some cases, closing altogether.
    Ana Valdez, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • The broad risk on sentiment is leaning on modest and temporary weak growth in 2H25, on the back of payback frontloading and tariffs.
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 30 June 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
  • Sadly, the wheels (or should that be legs?) all come off in that final act, as the film limps towards its conclusion via a brief stay in Harlan Ogilvy (Robbins)' basement.
    Richard Edwards, Space.com, 29 June 2025
  • Some suggestions seem easy and inexpensive to implement — encouraging law enforcement officers to issue a civil citation for non-violent misdemeanor offenses, an alternative to an arrest that requires a jail booking and often only a brief stay behind bars for the offender.
    Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2025
Adjective
  • Compared to an initial version of the budgets presented to City Council members in May, the ones that were adopted include an additional $194,000 and $160,000 in transient occupancy tax revenue for 2026 and 2027, respectively.
    Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 June 2025
  • What explosive and transient events occur in the universe?
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • That point in time was also fleeting — women’s labor force participation climbed steadily from the late 1940s, peaking at 60 percent in 1999 before dropping slightly.
    Anna North, Vox, 26 June 2025
  • The drawings, which range from portraits and still lifes to urban landscapes and fleeting moments, reflect Dylan’s sharp observational eye.
    Anna Tingley, Variety, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • Yet, over the passing weeks, no one surfaced looking for the small pup.
    Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025
  • According to Ben Taylor’s Passer Rating metric, this past season was the best passing year of Robinson’s career – grading as a respectable 5.3 out of 10 (53rd percentile).
    Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • Rogen lands a few funny lines, but the jokes mostly serve to distract from the point of the story: that freedom is ephemeral and easily corrupted, while humans are inherently piggish (as opposed to the other way around), seizing the first opportunity to take more than their share.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 9 June 2025
  • Episodes of natural selection are sometimes ephemeral, and evidence of them vanishes from our genomes when the selective pressures subside or when populations mix.
    Kermit Pattison, Scientific American, 20 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Transitory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/transitory. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

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