short-lived
Over before long
Short-lived describes something that lasts only a brief time: a short-lived romance, short-lived enthusiasm.
The word applies to phenomena, emotions, trends, or creatures with brief lifespans.
Pronounced with either a long or short *i*—both are standard.
Their happiness was short-lived; the news arrived within the hour.
Lasting very briefly
- briefShort in duration
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- passingMoving by or temporary
- temporaryLimited in duration
evanescent · transitory · fugacious · ephemeral · vanishing · fading · dissipating · perishable
momentary
Lasting very briefly
temporary · evanescent · transitory · fugacious · ephemeral · vanishing · fading · dissipating · perishable · volatile
mayfly
Short-lived winged insect
sparkler · dewdrop · rainbow · dandelion · poppy · cicada · butterfly · dragonfly · aurora · meteor
flash
Brief burst of light
heartbeat · jiffy · twinkling · glimpse · split-second · moment · breath · wink · flicker · spark
- time wordsminute, hour, day, now, soon
- brief or quickbrief, quick, instant, flash, jiffy
- mayfliesmayfly, mayflies, ephemera, imago, nymph
- one-time thingsonce, single-use, one-off, disposable, nonrecurring
- nuclear physicsnuclear energy, fission, nuclear fission, neutron, proton