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
  • Launched in 2016, The New European was intended to be a four-edition pop-up newspaper - a temporary exercise aimed at putting the pro-EU case and lobbying for a second referendum.
    Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
  • The new cutoff date is now September 17, giving users temporary relief from a looming ban.
    Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 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
  • There’s likely a good movie somewhere on the cutting room floor, since these ideas make brief appearances, but that they’re seldom explored speaks to a film whose roughest edges have been sanded down.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 June 2025
  • Include a brief description of the destination next to each code.
    Sharat Potharaju, Forbes.com, 17 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
  • Other main themes that guests can find in Guidi’s work are the relationship between space and light, between the solidity of architecture and the fleeting nature of the instant, between urban space and individual perception, between material traces and memory.
    Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 20 June 2025
  • To choose security over a passion that may be fleeting? Much of the humor in the film flows from Lucy’s cynicism about life and love.
    Scott Phillips, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • With each passing year, the anniversaries of key events in World War II serve as a reminder of our slow loss of a great generation of Americans.
    Medianews Group, Hartford Courant, 4 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 1 Jul. 2025.

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