fugacious

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /fjuˈɡeɪʃəs/ UK /fjuːˈɡeɪʃəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
tending to disappear quickly; fleeting

The fugacious blossoms had fallen by the week's end.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · tending to disappear... fleeting transient ephemeral evanescent transitory momentary passingshort-lived

Opposites

permanent lasting enduring perpetual abiding

Word family

Derived forms fugaciouslyfugacityfugaciousness

Related forms fugitive refuge subterfuge

Etymology

From Latin fugax (genitive fugacis, 'apt to flee, fleeting'), from fugere ('to flee'), + the suffix -ous.

fugÄx Latin fugere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# fugacious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /fjuˈɡeɪʃəs/
**IPA (UK):** /fjuːˈɡeɪʃəs/

## Meanings
1. tending to disappear quickly; fleeting

## Examples
- The fugacious blossoms had fallen by the week's end.

## Synonyms
- fleeting
- transient
- ephemeral
- evanescent
- transitory
- momentary
- passing
- short-lived

## Antonyms
- permanent
- lasting
- enduring
- perpetual
- abiding

## Derived Forms
- fugaciously
- fugacity
- fugaciousness

## Related Forms
- fugitive
- refuge
- subterfuge

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: fugÄx
- Root: fugere

## Etymology
From Latin fugax (genitive fugacis, 'apt to flee, fleeting'), from fugere ('to flee'), + the suffix -ous.

## AI Etymology
Fugacious comes from Latin fugax (genitive fugacis, 'apt to flee, fleeting'), from fugere ('to flee'), + the suffix -ous. The suffix is part of the word's derivational shape, marking the final grammatical or semantic role while the base supplies the central meaning. As an adjective, it carries the sense "tending to disappear quickly; fleeting", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Latin fugÄx and Latin fugere. Derivative forms include fugaciously, fugacity, fugaciousness; related words include fugitive, refuge, subterfuge.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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