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Ephemeral

Lasting for only a short time; short-lived.

adjective

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Imagine This

A young boy learned the moral behind the fable of The Tortoise and the Hare as his grandmother read it to him, but after a few days he forgot it. In the Bible, Paul constantly wrote to the Ephesians to remind them to keep their faith in God and not to let their good morals be short-lived.

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Sounds Like

eh-FEM-ər-əl

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Looks Like

Ephemeral resembles related terms such as ephemera (things that exist only briefly) and ends with -eral.

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Remember This

From Greek ephemeros meaning lasting only a day; related words include ephemera, ephemeris.

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Other Forms

Ephemerallyadverb

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Connect With

fleeting, transient, transitory, momentary, evanescent

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Note

Ephemeral describes things that are briefly present and then disappear; use it for short-lived phenomena, not for long processes. Don’t confuse with evanescent, which also suggests fading, but has a slightly different nuance.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The beauty of cherry blossoms is ephemeral, lasting only a short while each spring.
Fashion trends are often ephemeral, changing from season to season.

Synonyms

transienttransitoryshort-livedfleetingevanescent

Antonyms

permanentenduringlasting

Etymology

From Greek ephēmeros 'lasting only a day,' from epi- 'upon' + hēmera 'day'.

Mnemonic

Every Phase Has Ended; Moments End Rapidly, Absent Longevity.