mayfly
mayfly — 名詞
1. A small flying insect that is found near lakes, rivers, and streams. The adult m
蜉蝣
生活在水邊、成蟲壽命極短的昆蟲
A small flying insect that is found near lakes, rivers, and streams. The adult mayfly survives for only one or two days — just long enough to mate and lay eggs before dying.
Lucas sat by the river and watched a mayfly land on his fishing rod.
Lucas 坐在河邊，看著一隻蜉蝣停在他的釣竿上。
collocation: mayfly + land on [surface]
At camp, the children were amazed that a mayfly lives less than a day as an adult.
營隊的孩子們驚訝地發現，蜉蝣成蟲的壽命不到一天。
Élise noticed dozens of mayflies dancing over the surface of the lake at sunset.
Élise 注意到數十隻蜉蝣在黃昏時刻的湖面上飛舞。
An adult mayfly lives so briefly that it has no mouth to eat.
蜉蝣成蟲生命極短，甚至沒有嘴巴可以進食。
A single female mayfly can lay hundreds of eggs in the water before dying.
一隻雌性蜉蝣在死亡前可以在水中產下數百顆卵。
用法筆記
The plural form is mayflies. This noun refers to the insect species itself; its figurative use to mean 'something short-lived' appears in the adjective entry.
mayfly — 形容詞
1. Describing something that exists or remains for only a brief period — for exampl
短暫的
形容極為短暫的存在或現象
Describing something that exists or remains for only a brief period — for example, a fleeting moment of fame, a sudden burst of popularity, or a passing emotional state.
Lucas's mayfly fame ended the moment the news cycle moved on.
Lucas 如蜉蝣般的名氣，在新聞熱潮消退後便結束了。
figurative use: mayfly fame
The band enjoyed a mayfly popularity that lasted only through one summer.
這個樂團享受了一季夏天的短暫人氣。
In the world of social media, mayfly trends appear and disappear within hours.
在社群媒體的世界裡，如蜉蝣般的潮流幾小時內就出現又消失。
The couple's mayfly romance burned bright and was over before autumn.
那對情侶如蜉蝣般的戀情燃燒得炙熱，卻在秋天來臨前就結束了。
Some critics dismissed the artist's work as a mayfly phenomenon with no lasting value.
一些評論家認為該藝術家的作品只是曇花一現，沒有持久價值。
- fleeting
More common in everyday language; emphasizes speed of passing
- ephemeral
More formal and literary; implies something that lasts exactly one day (from Greek)
- short-lived
The most neutral and widely used alternative; less poetic
- transient
Suggests something passing through without staying; used for people or conditions
文法句型
mayfly + noun — describing a short-lived phenomenon
用法筆記
Almost always used in attributive position (directly before a noun). It is strongly associated with literary, descriptive, or critical writing rather than everyday conversation.