fleeting

adjective

fleet·​ing ˈflē-tiŋ 

: passing swiftly : transitory

… the often fleeting nature of fame and fortune …

—Tom Sinclair

fleetingly

ˈflē-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

fleetingness noun

Synonyms

• brief
• deciduous
• ephemeral
• evanescent
• flash
• fugacious
• fugitive
• impermanent
• momentary
• passing
• short-lived
• temporary
• transient
• transitory

Choose the Right Synonym for fleeting

transient, transitory, ephemeral, momentary, fugitive, fleeting, evanescent 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

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

ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration.

many slang words are ephemeral

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

fugitive and fleeting imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult.

let a fugitive smile flit across his face

fleeting moments of joy

evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality.

the story has an evanescent touch of whimsy that is lost in translation

Examples of fleeting in a Sentence

I caught a fleeting glimpse of the comet.

had a fleeting desire to jump into the cool lake but kept on hiking

Recent Examples on the Web

The league’s ability to navigate these challenges, while staying true to its core values, will ultimately determine whether the current renaissance is the beginning of a new era or just another fleeting moment in the spotlight. —Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 27 Jan. 2025

But over eight half-hour episodes (including a finale that’s twice that length), those momentary bursts of magic feel all too fleeting. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2025

But Sachs worried that the film, a two-character drama that moves from the kitchen of a New York City apartment to its living room to its bedroom, with a few fleeting rooftop interludes, might not have enough action to sustain itself. —Brent Lang, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025

In an age of viral trends and fleeting fads, The Lipstick Lesbians are proving that knowledge is power—and that beauty, when understood, can be more than skin deep. —Jane Hanson, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fleeting

adjective

fleet·​ing

ˈflēt-iŋ

: not lasting : passing swiftly

a fleeting glimpse