will-o'-wisp
Swamp's floating light
A will-o'-wisp is a flickering light seen over marshes at night, traditionally attributed to supernatural causes but actually produced by gases from decaying organic matter.
The phenomenon became a metaphor for anything that misleads or eludes: He chased the will-o'-wisp of easy wealth for years.
A will-o'-wisp leads you on but can't be caught.
Passing very quickly
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
- unattainableImpossible to acquire
- intangibleNot physically present
- tantalizingTeasingly attractive, frustratingly desirable
deceptive · illusory · misleading · beckoning · luring · enticing · vanishing · distant
Waterlogged land with vegetation
- bogAcidic peat wetland
- fenLow marshy ground
- moorUncultivated peaty upland
- wetlandWaterlogged land ecosystem
quagmire · peatland · marshland · mire · bayou · slough · foggy · misty
jack-o'-lantern
Carved pumpkin with light
fleeting
Passing very quickly
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
- unattainableImpossible to acquire
- intangibleNot physically present
tantalizing · deceptive · illusory · misleading · beckoning · luring · enticing · vanishing · distant · unreachable
swamp
Waterlogged land with vegetation
wetland · quagmire · peatland · marshland · mire · bayou · slough · foggy · misty · murky
flicker
Unsteady, brief light
hovering · bobbing · wavering · faint · luminous · lantern · orb · phosphorescent · nocturnal · dim
ghost
Apparition of the dead
apparition · haunting · eerie · spectral · otherworldly · wraith · shade · omen · portent · uncanny
will-o'-wispsolid ground
Stable surface beneath
bedrock · substance · certainty · the real thing · terra firma
will-o'-wisplighthouse
Coastal beacon tower
beacon · lantern · guiding star · North Star · Polaris
will-o'-wispsure thing
Guaranteed outcome or agreement
certainty · bird in the hand · safe bet · guarantee · done deal
will, wills, willed, willing, willingly, unwilling, unwillingly, willingness, unwillingness