: not living or lasting long
short-lived insects
short-lived joy

Examples of short-lived in a Sentence

the skier's triumph turned out to be short-lived, as the next competitor bested her time
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Tariffs could deter countries like China from flooding the US with cheap EVs, but that could be short-lived if China keeps making cheaper and cheaper EVs. Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 6 Nov. 2024 No matter how effective doctors and patients say microdosing weight-loss drugs are, this form of medical experimentation may be short-lived. Jackie Snow, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024 Georgia counts quickly, though, so any blue mirage will be short-lived. Sara Dorn, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Anecdotally, many people report that 2C-B’s psychedelic effects are relatively mild and short-lived. Celia Ford, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for short-lived 

Word History

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of short-lived was in 1588

Dictionary Entries Near short-lived

Cite this Entry

“Short-lived.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short-lived. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

short-lived

adjective
ˈshȯrt-ˈlīvd,
-ˌlivd
: living or lasting only a short time
short-lived blooms
short-lived joy

More from Merriam-Webster on short-lived

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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