short-livedness
Quality of impermanence
The quality of lasting only a brief time.
Short-livedness describes anything that doesn't endure—a fad, a feeling, a career, a species: The short-livedness of internet fame is well documented.
The noun form is rarer than the adjective short-lived, appearing mainly in formal or analytical contexts.
Moving by or temporary
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- evanescentTending to vanish quickly
- transitoryBrief in duration
- fugaciousLasting very briefly
vanishing · fading · dissolving · evaporating · dissipating · melting · waning · receding
Short-lived winged insect
- dewdropCondensed moisture on surfaces
- bubbleAir-filled film sphere
- snowflakeFeathery ice crystal
- fireworkExplosive celebration device
spark · meteor · rainbow · frost · mist · smoke · foam · cicada
Brief burst of light
- blinkRapid lid movement
- heartbeatRhythmic cardiac contraction
- instantBriefest unit of time
- secondUnit smaller than minute
jiffy · flicker · glimmer · glimpse · split-second · twinkle · spark · lightning
passing
Moving by or temporary
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- evanescentTending to vanish quickly
- transitoryBrief in duration
fugacious · vanishing · fading · dissolving · evaporating · dissipating · melting · waning · receding · dwindling
mayfly
Short-lived winged insect
firework · spark · meteor · rainbow · frost · mist · smoke · foam · cicada · moth
flash
Brief burst of light
second · jiffy · flicker · glimmer · glimpse · split-second · twinkle · spark · lightning · snap
perishable
Prone to decay
precarious · unstable · volatile · breakable · frail · gossamer · wispy · flimsy · insubstantial · vulnerable
provisional
Conditional and possibly temporary
- interimProvisional in-between phase
- stopgapTemporary substitute measure
- makeshiftTemporary, improvised substitute
tentative · limited · acting · stand-in · placeholder · bridging · fill-in · caretaker · band-aid · holding
short-livednesspermanence
Quality of lasting indefinitely
longevity · endurance · permanency · lastingness · durability
live, short, living, liver, lifeless, lifetime, lives, lifestyle, shortness