Ephemeral
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 Something which lasts for a short period of time.
- 2 anything short-lived, as an insect that lives only for a day in its winged form wordnet
- 1 Lasting for a short period of time.
"1821-1822, Vicesimus Knox, Remarks on the tendency of certain Clauses in a Bill now pending in Parliament to degrade Grammar Schools Esteem, lasting esteem, the esteem of good men, like himself, will be his reward, when the gale of ephemeral popularity shall have gradually subsided."
- 2 Existing for only one day, as with some flowers, insects, and diseases.
- 3 Usually dry, but filling with water for brief periods during and after precipitation.
"The graben constitutes a depositional basin and a topographic low, underlain by Cretaceous shales, in which volcanic debris accumulated in ephemeral lakes and streams in Oligocene and early Miocene time."
- 1 lasting a very short time wordnet
Example
More examples"There are two worlds: one immediately perceptible to the senses, world of appearances, ephemeral shadow of a more concealed one, accessible only through the reason; this is the true and eternal world."
Etymology
From New Latin ephemerus, from Ancient Greek ἐφήμερος (ephḗmeros), the more common form of ἐφημέριος (ephēmérios, “of, for, or during the day, living or lasting but for a day, short-lived, temporary”), from ἐπί (epí, “on”) + ἡμέρα (hēméra, “day”).
Related phrases
More for "ephemeral"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.