fleeting

fleeting — adjective

1. Something that is fleeting lasts for a period that is so short it is over almost

1.形容詞B2
釋義

Something that is fleeting lasts for a period that is so short it is over almost before you are fully aware of it — often carrying a sense that the moment was precious or meaningful.

例句

A fleeting smile crossed Yara's face when she read the letter from her brother.

collocation: fleeting smile / fleeting glance / fleeting moment

Rohan caught a fleeting glimpse of a deer running through the misty forest at dawn.

collocation: fleeting glimpse

同義詞
  • brief

    more neutral; simply means short in duration without the emotional tone

  • momentary

    emphasises an extremely short instant, often shorter than fleeting

  • transient

    more formal; often used in technical or written contexts about temporary conditions

  • passing

    less intense than fleeting; suggests something that comes and goes without strong emotional impact

反義詞
  • lasting

    continues for a long time, the direct opposite of fleeting

  • permanent

    never ends; a stronger opposite than lasting

文法句型

fleeting + noun

be + fleeting

用法筆記

Often used before nouns such as 'smile', 'glance', 'moment', 'feeling', 'thought', and 'glimpse'. The word carries an emotional tone of regret or appreciation — it does not simply mean 'short', but suggests that the brevity is noteworthy or poignant.

常見錯誤

❌The meeting was fleeting, lasting only thirty minutes.
✅The meeting was brief, lasting only thirty minutes.
💡'fleeting' implies something that ends too soon with emotional weight; for neutral short duration, use 'brief'.
❌She gave him a fleeting book to read.
✅She gave him a quick look
💡a fleeting glance.' — 'fleeting' cannot describe objects; it describes moments, experiences, or impressions.