ephemeral

C2 Topic:Time

US /ɛˈfɛ.mə.ɹəl/ See IPA manual

adj noun Freq #37938

Meanings

1

adj
Lasting for only a short time.

The beauty of the cherry blossoms is ephemeral, gone within a week.
2

noun
Something that lasts for only a short time.

Fashions are ephemerals, popular one season and forgotten the next.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · lasting for only a short time. fleetingshort-livedtransitory

2 noun · something that lasts for... ephemeron

More brief deciduous earthly evanescent flying fugacious fugitive instant momentary passing perishable

Opposites

eternal lasting perennial persistent

Word family

Forms ephemerals

Derived forms ephemeralizationephemeralizeephemerally ephemeralnessnonephemeralunephemeral

Related forms ephemera ephemerality ephemeronhemeralintermittent moment speedy temporarily transience unstable

Etymology

From New Latin ephemerus, from Ancient Greek ἐφήμερος (ephḗmeros), the more common form of ἐφημέριος (ephēmérios, “of, for, or during the day, living or lasting but for a day, short-lived, temporary”), from ἐπί (epí, “on”) + ἡμέρα (hēméra, “day”).

ephemerus la-new ἐφήμερος Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Time Word Formation & Derivatives

# ephemeral

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** ɛˈfɛ.mə.ɹəl
**Frequency rank:** 37938

## Meanings
1. Lasting for only a short time.
2. Something that lasts for only a short time.

## Examples
- The beauty of the cherry blossoms is ephemeral, gone within a week.
- Fashions are ephemerals, popular one season and forgotten the next.

## Synonyms
- brief
- deciduous
- earthly
- evanescent
- fleeting
- flying
- fugacious
- fugitive
- instant
- momentary
- passing
- perishable

## Antonyms
- eternal
- lasting
- perennial
- persistent

## Derived Forms
- ephemeralization
- ephemeralize
- ephemerally
- ephemeralness
- nonephemeral
- unephemeral

## Related Forms
- ephemera
- ephemerality
- ephemeron
- hemeral
- intermittent
- moment
- speedy
- temporarily
- transience
- unstable

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ephemerus
- Root: ἐφήμερος

## Etymology
From New Latin ephemerus, from Ancient Greek ἐφήμερος (ephḗmeros), the more common form of ἐφημέριος (ephēmérios, “of, for, or during the day, living or lasting but for a day, short-lived, temporary”), from ἐπί (epí, “on”) + ἡμέρα (hēméra, “day”).

## AI Etymology
Ephemeral is from New Latin ephemerus, from Ancient Greek ἐφήμερος (ephḗmeros), the more common form of ἐφημέριος (ephēmérios, “of, for, or during the day, living or lasting but for a day, short-lived, temporary”), from ἐπί (epí, “on”) + ἡμέρα (hēméra, “day”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include ephemerus (la-new) and ἐφήμερος (Ancient Greek). Current senses include lasting for only a short time and something that lasts for only a short time. The wider family includes derived forms such as ephemeralization, ephemeralize, ephemerally, ephemeralness, and nonephemeral; related words such as ephemera, ephemerality, ephemeron, and hemeral.

## Topics
- Time
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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