Agency Dictionary

Fleeting

adjectivePronunciation: /ˈfliː.tɪŋ/

In Portuguese: Fugaz

Philosophy & Ethics

What does “Fleeting” mean?

Lasting for only a very short time; brief and transient. It characterizes momentary sensory impressions, temporary fashions, and unstable social commitments.

Etymology

The present participle of the verb fleet, used as an adjective. Fleet comes from Middle English fleten and Old English fleotan, "to float", a Germanic verb also behind float and the noun fleet. From floating and drifting the verb came to mean gliding away and passing quickly, and fleeting keeps only that last idea: lasting a very short time.

Usage note

Fleeting is almost always placed before the noun: a fleeting glance, a fleeting moment. It suggests that the thing passes before it can be held.

Synonyms

brief
transient
ephemeral
momentary
passing
short-lived

Word family

fleet
fleetingly
fleetness

Rhymes with

meeting
greeting
eating
heating
beating
seating
cheating
competing

Usage examples

Social, economic, and production relations are fragile, fleeting, and malleable, like liquids.

Concepts

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Issue.6 - Time & Consumer Psychology In CrisisMarch 10, 2023Read the edition

Words of the same theme

Antithesisnoun: A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
Discursiveadjective: Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.
Treatisenoun: A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
Maximnoun: A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
rhetoricnoun: The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
Tangibleadjective: Perceptible by the sense of touch or capable of being physically grasped and measured in concrete physical reality. It distinguishes concrete material products from virtual or intellectual entities.
Holisticadjective: Characterized by the comprehension of parts as intimately interconnected and explicable only in reference to the whole.
aestheticsnoun: A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, artistic taste, and style.
Affectnoun: An expressed or experienced emotion, feeling, or visceral response to a stimulus in psychology and philosophy.
Agapenoun: A selfless, unconditional, and altruistic form of love often associated in theology with divine charity.
Ambiguitynoun: The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness or uncertainty of meaning.

Also from these editions: terms

Abyssnoun: A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm, either in physical geography or metaphorical psychological depth. It evokes feelings of unfathomable emptiness or existential peril.
Anesthetizingadjective: Producing numbness, insensibility, or temporary relief from pain and critical awareness. In media studies, it describes content that pacifies audiences into mindless consumption.
Combustionnoun: The chemical process of burning, producing heat, light, and mechanical energy. In literary metaphors, it evokes furious velocity, explosive energy, and rapid expenditure of power.
Cultivationnoun: The act of preparing land, tending crops, or nurturing growth with patience and care. Figuratively, it describes the deliberate development of skills, habits, or relationships over time.
Livelihoodnoun: A means of securing the necessities of life through honest occupation, craft, or employment. It represents the material and vocational foundation supporting human dignity.
Maleficencenoun: The practice or tendency of doing harm, evil, or mischief to others. In ethics, it represents the violation of moral duty toward human well-being.
Malleableadjective: Easily influenced, pliable, or capable of being reshaped without breaking. In social theory, it describes institutions and human relationships that alter continuously.
Overdosenoun: An excessive, dangerous dose of a medicinal, toxic, or stimulatory substance. In broader contexts, it refers to an overwhelming surfeit of sensory, emotional, or informative stimulation.
Painkillernoun: A medicine or agent that reduces or relieves physical or emotional suffering. Metaphorically, it refers to products that resolve acute client emergencies rather than offering optional conveniences.
Suspicionnoun: A feeling or thought that something is possible, likely, or true, often accompanied by mistrust or caution. It acts as an instinctual defense against perceived deceit.
Inertianoun: The tendency of an object to remain at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force, or a state of sluggish inaction in organizations.