will o' the wisp
Swamp's floating light
Will o' the wisp is a flickering light sometimes seen over marshy ground at night, traditionally explained as burning swamp gas.
The phenomenon gave rise to folklore about ghostly lights that mislead travelers.
The figurative sense dominates modern usage: an elusive goal or hope that leads one on but proves impossible to attain.
Financial independence remained a will o' the wisp for most of his life.
Waterlogged land with vegetation
- bogAcidic peat wetland
- fenLow marshy ground
- mireBoggy, waterlogged terrain
- marshGrassy waterlogged lowland
wetland · peat · quagmire · bayou · everglade · moorland · sedge · reed
Not physically present
- unattainableImpossible to acquire
- elusiveHard to find
- slipperyLacking friction, hard-to-grasp
- uncatchableCannot be seized
deceptive · misleading · lure · pursuit · chase · beckoning · tantalizing · teasing
Organism-generated light emission
- phosphorescenceHeatless delayed light emission
- methaneSimplest alkane fuel
- swamp gasMethane from decomposing wetlands
- oxidationLosing electrons chemically
chemiluminescence · decomposition · organic matter · atmospheric · combustion · natural gas · glowing · luminous
Carved pumpkin with light
- fairy lightSmall decorative string bulb
- corpse candleSpectral flame foretelling death
- foxfireGlowing fungi on rot
- astrayOff the right path
Passing very quickly
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- evanescentTending to vanish quickly
- momentaryLasting very briefly
- vanishingCeasing to be visible
fading · flickering · wavering · glimmering · dissipating · short-lived · impermanent · passing
swamp
Waterlogged land with vegetation
marsh · wetland · peat · quagmire · bayou · everglade · moorland · sedge · reed · mist
intangible
Not physically present
- unattainableImpossible to acquire
- elusiveHard to find
- slipperyLacking friction, hard-to-grasp
uncatchable · deceptive · misleading · lure · pursuit · chase · beckoning · tantalizing · teasing · distant
bioluminescence
Organism-generated light emission
- phosphorescenceHeatless delayed light emission
- methaneSimplest alkane fuel
- swamp gasMethane from decomposing wetlands
oxidation · chemiluminescence · decomposition · organic matter · atmospheric · combustion · natural gas · glowing · luminous · gas emission
jack-o'-lantern
Carved pumpkin with light
- fairy lightSmall decorative string bulb
- corpse candleSpectral flame foretelling death
- foxfireGlowing fungi on rot
fleeting
Passing very quickly
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- evanescentTending to vanish quickly
- momentaryLasting very briefly
vanishing · fading · flickering · wavering · glimmering · dissipating · short-lived · impermanent · passing · brief
will o' the wispsure thing
Guaranteed outcome or agreement
certainty · reality · bird in the hand · safe bet · done deal
will o' the wisptrue north
Direction to the pole
guiding star · North Star · lodestar · beacon · lighthouse
will o' the wispsolid ground
Stable surface beneath
bedrock · terra firma · permanence · fixture · constant
will, wills, willed, willing, willingly, unwilling, unwillingly, willfulness, willful