Ephemeral: meaning, example and synonyms
Ephemeraladj. Lasting for a very short time.
Example
The desert's spring wildflowers are ephemeral, blooming within days of the rare rains and withering before the summer heat arrives.
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Synonyms
- fleeting, transient, brief, momentary
- Antonyms
- permanent, lasting, enduring, eternal
- Memory tip
- Greek ephemeros = "lasting a day," like a mayfly's life.
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Check yourself: Ephemeral in context
Fame on social media is often ______: a video viewed by millions one week may be entirely forgotten by the next.
Answer: ephemeral. Fame that vanishes within a week is short-lived: ephemeral. Irreproachable (blameless), antagonistic (hostile) and unequivocal (clear) don't describe brief duration.
The mayfly's adult life is remarkably ______, lasting only a day or two, just long enough to mate and lay eggs.
Answer: ephemeral. A life of a day or two is ephemeral, very brief. Fraught (full of trouble), unequivocal (clear) and antagonistic (hostile) don't describe length of life.