ephemeral
/əˈfem.ər.əl/
📊
B2 Level
📈
Increasing Usage
🌍
47 Languages
📅
First used 1570s
adjective
Oxford English Dictionary
1
Lasting for a very short time; transitory.
"The ephemeral beauty of cherry blossoms reminds us to cherish every moment."
Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse, 1927
2
(Of an insect or other organism) living for only one day.
"Mayflies are ephemeral creatures, with adults living only 24 hours."
National Geographic, 2019
3
(Of a plant or its parts) having a short life span; short-lived.
"The ephemeral nature of wildflowers makes each bloom precious."
noun
Merriam-Webster
1
Something of short or limited duration; a transient phenomenon.
"Fashion trends are often mere ephemera of their time."
📜 Etymology
From Greek ephēmeros meaning "lasting only a day," from epi- "upon" + hēmera "day." First attested in English in the 1570s, entering through Latin ephemerus and French éphémère.
ἡμέρα
(day)
→
ἐφήμερος
(lasting a day)
→
ephemeral
(1570s)