transient

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈtɹæn.ʃənt/ UK /ˈtɹan.zi.ənt/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like trenchant /ɛ/ vs /æ/

Freq #24236

Meanings

1

adj
Lasting only for a short time; not permanent.

His happiness was transient and soon turned to worry.
2

noun
A person who stays in a place for only a short time before moving on.

The cheap motel was mostly used by transients passing through town.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · lasting only for a short... brief fleeting passing ephemeral

2 noun · a person who stays in a... itinerant migrant drifter

More momentary temporary transitory

Opposites

chronic immanent inveterate permanent recurrent

Word family

Forms transients

Derived forms transience transiency transientlytransientnesstransitoriness

Simplified etymology

Transient entered English in the late 16th century and comes from Latin transire, “to go across,” the source also underlying transit and trance.

Etymology

From Late Latin transiēnt- (for classical transeunt-), stem of transiēns, present participle of trānsīre (“to go over, to pass”).

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# transient

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈtɹæn.ʃənt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈtɹan.zi.ənt/
**Frequency rank:** 24236

## Meanings
1. Lasting only for a short time; not permanent.
2. A person who stays in a place for only a short time before moving on.

## Examples
- His happiness was transient and soon turned to worry.
- The cheap motel was mostly used by transients passing through town.

## Synonyms
- ephemeral
- fleeting
- momentary
- passing
- temporary
- transitory

## Antonyms
- chronic
- immanent
- inveterate
- permanent
- recurrent

## Derived Forms
- transience
- transiency
- transiently
- transientness
- transitoriness

## Etymology
From Late Latin transiēnt- (for classical transeunt-), stem of transiēns, present participle of trānsīre (“to go over, to pass”).

## AI Etymology
Transient is from Late Latin transiēnt- (for classical transeunt-), stem of transiēns, present participle of trānsīre (“to go over, to pass”). In present-day use, it can mean lasting only for a short time; not permanent, or a person who stays in a place for only a short time before moving on. Derived formations include transience, transiency, transiently, transientness, transitoriness.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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