ephemeral

1 of 2

adjective

ephem·​er·​al i-ˈfe-mə-rəl  -ˈfē- 

-ˈfem-rəl,

-ˈfēm-

1

: lasting a very short time

ephemeral pleasures

2

: lasting one day only

an ephemeral fever

ephemerally

i-ˈfe-mə-rə-lē 

-ˈfē-;

-ˈfem-rə-lē

-ˈfēm-

adverb

ephemeral

2 of 2

noun

: something that lasts for a very short time : something ephemeral

specifically : a plant that grows, flowers, and dies in a few days

Did you know?

The Mayfly Helps to Illustrate Ephemeral

In its aquatic immature stages, the mayfly (order Ephemeroptera) has all the time in the world—or not quite: among the approximately 2,500 species of mayflies, some have as much as two years, but a year is more common. But in its adult phase, the typical mayfly hatches, takes wing for the first time, mates, and dies within the span of a few short hours. This briefest of heydays makes the insect a potent symbol of life's ephemeral nature. When ephemeral (from the Greek word ephēmeros, meaning "lasting a day") first appeared in print in English in the late 16th century, it was a scientific term applied to short-term fevers, and later, to organisms (such as insects and flowers) with very short life spans. Soon after that, it acquired an extended sense referring to anything fleeting and short-lived, as in "ephemeral pleasures."

Synonyms

Adjective

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

Choose the Right Synonym for ephemeral

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 ephemeral in a Sentence

Adjective

… several rather inflated pages of material about an ephemeral love affair Fitzgerald allegedly had with an English woman named Bijou … —Joyce Carol Oates, Times Literary Supplement, 5 Jan. 1996

As a consequence North Africa was easily reconquered by the Byzantine emperor in the 530s, and the Vandals' influence on North African development was ephemeral and negligible. —Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages, 1993

This accounts for the peculiar sense most observers have that the ephemeral, sensationalist, polymorphous, magpie popular culture of the United States is at bottom remarkably conservative … —Louis Menand, Harper's, March 1993

the autumnal blaze of colors is always to be treasured, all the more so because it is so ephemeral

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Beyond that, there’s the issue of how ephemeral TikTok can be. —Adam Bumas, WIRED, 10 July 2024

Gift wrapping is, perhaps, one of the world’s most ephemeral art forms. —The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2024

Some exhibitors have opted not to rely on the ephemeral trends dictated by social media. —Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Nov. 2024

This ephemeral medium becomes a metaphor for human existence—the essence of life. —Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Greek ephēmeros lasting a day, daily, from epi- + hēmera day

First Known Use

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1807, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

ephemeral

adjective

ephem·​er·​al

i-ˈfem-(ə-)rəl

1

: lasting one day only

an ephemeral fever

2

: lasting a very short time

ephemeral pleasures

ephemerally

-rə-lē

adverb

Medical Definition

ephemeral

adjective

ephem·​er·​al i-ˈfem(-ə)-rəl  -ˈfēm- 

: lasting a very short time