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 of fleeting

• flash
• brief
• temporary
• transient
• passing
• transitory
• ephemeral
• momentary
• evanescent

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

These fleeting phases, which usually vanish before the final product is formed, offer unique properties and structures that are impossible to create using standard methods. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Apr. 2026

Looking back, Knight likens the near-romance to a fleeting moment in time. —Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026

Although there are some outdated kitchen island styles out there, interior designers agree that kitchen islands are most certainly not a fleeting trend, given their practicality. —Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026

What if even those fleeting pleasures were to vanish for good? —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fleeting

• beating
• bleating
• cheating
• eating
• greeting
• heating
• meeting
• seating
• sheeting
• sweeting
• treating
• accreting

Kids Definition

fleeting

adjective

fleet·​ing

ˈflēt-iŋ

: not lasting : passing swiftly

a fleeting glimpse