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ephemeral

ɪˈfɛmərəladjective

What does ephemeral mean?

Lasting a very short time.

Ephemeral, six ways

PlainLasting a very short time.
ADHDHere, then gone. Short-lived. Blink and you miss it.
Gen ZHere for a sec and then gone. Stories that vanish, cherry blossoms, a good mood.
MetaphorA soap bubble: whole, shining, and already on its way out.
FormalLasting for a markedly brief time; transitory.
Like I’m 5Something that goes away really fast, like a bubble or a rainbow. That’s ephemeral.

How to pronounce ephemeral

ih-FEM-er-ul/ɪˈfɛmərəl/

Ephemeral in a sentence

Fame on the internet is ephemeral.
Stories that vanish after a day are ephemeral by design.
Cherry blossoms are loved because they are ephemeral.

Synonyms for ephemeral

fleetingPassing quickly, more poetic.
transientTemporary, neutral.
evanescentFading as you watch.

Ephemeral vs evanescent: Ephemeral things are short-lived. Evanescent things are fading in front of you. The difference, in plain English.

Ethereal vs ephemeral: Ethereal is about lightness. Ephemeral is about time. They get swapped because they sound alike. The difference, in plain English.

Where ephemeral comes from

Greek. Ephēmeros, lasting a day, from epi, on, and hēmera, day. First used of fevers, and of insects that live a single day.

Good to know

Ephemera, the plural noun, are things made to be thrown away: tickets, flyers, the paper life of a moment. Collectors keep them anyway.

Ephemeral meaning, on a Gloss card: Lasting a very short time.

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Ephemeral on one card: what it means, how to say it, and a sentence. Keep it, or pin it for later.

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Words like ephemeral

evanescent · idyllic · epiphany · enigma · melancholy · pulchritude · All 110 words

In: Beautiful words · Words for time · SAT words · Words that make you sound smart · Latin and Greek roots