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evanescent

evanescent

3 8.8
Lasting only a short time before it disappears
  • adjective
  • /ˌɛvəˈnɛsənt/
  • Literature
translation icon : evanescente
  • The beauty of the sunset was evanescent, disappearing within moments as night fell.
  • evanescent and ephemeral
  • evanescent wave

This also works for evanescent waves, which usually get lost.

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Examples

  • "The songs were personal, unpremeditated, and evanescent, which made them extremely difficult to capture.

    Academic text (2014)
  • My angel, age three, sat on a footstool and flashed one after another of her evanescent, charming smiles.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • What follows is meant to explain to a wider public what that evanescent explosion of passion and reason was about.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The traffic of essential goods transformed into evanescent beauty: what could be more Venetian?

    Academic text (2008)
  • Pat Buchanan and David Duke enjoyed only evanescent celebrity status.

    Academic text (1994)
  • For centuries, Verid had begun her day watching these brilliant evanescent creatures in their garden, contemplating her own fate.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Wisps of vapor drifted across the face of the asteroid, veiling its cratered surface with an evanescent atmosphere.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Her joy was evanescent, fading quickly after she received the disappointing news.

  • The evanescent nature of childhood makes those moments all the more precious.

Synonyms

fleeting
vsevanescent
66 6.3

Lasting only a short time

emphasizes quick fading or disappearance rather than simply passing
ephemeral
vsevanescent
17 8.6

Lasting only a very short time

focuses on quick disappearance rather than abstract shortness

Antonyms

93 5.8

Lasting for a very long time without stopping

38 3.1

Continuing to be present or useful for a long time

How Long

permanent
650 3.2
lasting
38 3.1
temporary
557 3.0
evanescent
  • Literature
3 8.8
fleeting
66 6.3
momentary
44 4.8
instantaneous
35 5.1

Surface Forms

evanescent positive

Morphology

evanescent = evanesce (semi-transparent) = evanesce + ent

Built from the (rare) verb 'evanesce' + adjectival suffix '-ent'; because 'evanesce' is uncommon and the form differs from more familiar words like 'vanish', learners may not recognise the base.

Etymology

Evanescent comes from the old Latin verb evanescere, which means 'to disappear', and it is related to the familiar English word vanish. So, think of a mist or a colour that quickly fades away — that's why evanescent means 'lasting only a short time'.