evanescent

adjective

ev·​a·​nes·​cent ˌe-və-ˈne-sᵊnt 

: tending to vanish like vapor

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Breaking Down Evanescent

The fragile, airy quality of evanescent things reflects the etymology of the word evanescent itself. It’s from a form of the Latin verb evanescere, which means "to evaporate" or "to vanish.” (Evanescere is also the ultimate source of vanish.) Given the similarity in spelling between the two words, you might expect evaporate to be from this family as well, but its source is another steamy Latin root, evaporare.

Synonyms

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

Choose the Right Synonym for evanescent

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 evanescent in a Sentence

beauty that is as evanescent as a rainbow

Recent Examples on the Web

Sketches and blackouts are often evanescent, like an idea sketched on a cocktail napkin; some last only a few seconds yet might have been fiendishly complicated to prepare and execute. —Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2023

Or something perhaps deeper and more difficult but not quite so evanescent? Attendance declines have made this question more urgent. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2023

More often, though, the new songs are evanescent. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Nov. 2022

Consumatory scholarship has much more individualized and evanescent outcomes. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2012

Word History

Etymology

Latin evanescent-, evanescens, present participle of evanescere

First Known Use

1717, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

evanescent

adjective

ev·​a·​nes·​cent ˌev-ə-ˈnes-ᵊnt 

: tending to vanish like vapor : not lasting

evanescent pleasures

Medical Definition

evanescent

adjective

ev·​a·​nes·​cent ˌev-ə-ˈnes-ᵊnt 

: tending to disappear quickly : of relatively short duration

an evanescent rash