shortest-lived
Lasting least long
Shortest-lived is the superlative of short-lived, describing whatever has the briefest duration among a group: the shortest-lived species of mayfly, the shortest-lived presidency in American history.
The word applies to anything measurable by lifespan or duration—organisms, relationships, trends, or phenomena.
Short-lived winged insect
- butterflyWinged insect from caterpillar
- blossomFlower on fruit tree
- dewdropCondensed moisture on surfaces
- bubbleAir-filled film sphere
snowflake · spark · firework · foam · mist · vapor · gossamer · rainbow
Passing very quickly
- briefShort in duration
- momentaryLasting very briefly
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- temporaryLimited in duration
passing · evanescent · fugacious · impermanent · transitory · volatile · perishable · ephemeral
Fundamental matter particle
- neutrinoUncharged, near-massless particle
- photonElectromagnetic radiation unit
- muonFleeting charged lepton
- positronElectron's antimatter counterpart
isotope · particle · antimatter · radioactive · half-life · decay · unstable · subatomic
One-billionth second unit
- microsecondOne-millionth of a second
- millisecondTiny time unit
- secondUnit smaller than minute
- instantBriefest unit of time
moment · heartbeat · blink · jiffy · tick · split-second · twinkling · wink
mayfly
Short-lived winged insect
- butterflyWinged insect from caterpillar
- blossomFlower on fruit tree
- dewdropCondensed moisture on surfaces
bubble · snowflake · spark · firework · foam · mist · vapor · gossamer · rainbow · frost
fleeting
Passing very quickly
temporary · passing · evanescent · fugacious · impermanent · transitory · volatile · perishable · ephemeral · deciduous
quark
Fundamental matter particle
- neutrinoUncharged, near-massless particle
- photonElectromagnetic radiation unit
- muonFleeting charged lepton
positron · isotope · particle · antimatter · radioactive · half-life · decay · unstable · subatomic · fleeting
nanosecond
One-billionth second unit
- microsecondOne-millionth of a second
- millisecondTiny time unit
- secondUnit smaller than minute
instant · moment · heartbeat · blink · jiffy · tick · split-second · twinkling · wink · flash
shortest-livedlongest-lasting
Greatest in duration
eternal · everlasting · immortal · perennial · timeless
live, short, living, lives, shorter, lived, livelihood, short-lived, shortest