flash in the pan
Momentary success story
A flash in the pan is something that shows initial promise but fails to deliver lasting results.
The phrase comes from flintlock firearms, where powder in the pan might flash without igniting the main charge—a misfire.
Now it describes short-lived success or a person who attracts attention briefly before fading: The band looked promising but turned out to be a flash in the pan.
fad
Short-lived enthusiasm
- one-hit wonderArtist famous for one song
- noveltyQuality of being original
- sensationPerceived stimulus or phenomenon
craze · bust · flop · disappointment · letdown · washout · also-ran · has-been · dud · fiasco
fleeting
Passing very quickly
short-lived · temporary · passing · brief · quick · sudden · meteoric · vanishing · impermanent · evanescent
- fleeting fameone-hit wonder, fifteen minutes, 15 minutes, overnight sensation, flavor of the month
- Old Idiomsbeyond the pale, hue and cry, scot-free, knight in shining armor, eat humble pie
- Insignificant thingstrivial, minor, small, tiny, negligible
- reputationreputation, reputable, bad reputation, repute, disreputable
- Types of Famecelebrity, stardom, notoriety, infamy, A-list
- Untrustworthy Thingsbroken promise, fair-weather friend, snake in the grass, wolf in sheep's clothing, two-faced
flash in the paninstitution
Established organization or custom
perennial · mainstay · established · lasting legacy · fixture
flash in the pangenuine article
Authentic original item
heavyweight · force to be reckoned with · game-changer · trailblazer · groundbreaker
flash in the pangenuine article
Authentic original item
bona fide · substantive · deep-rooted · well-founded · tried and true
flash, flashy, flashing, flashed, flashes, flasher, flashers, reflash