evanescent

[ ev-uh-nes-uhnt ]

See synonyms for: evanescent evanescence on Thesaurus.com

adjective

vanishing; fading away; fleeting.
tending to become imperceptible; scarcely perceptible.

Origin of evanescent

First recorded in 1700–1805; from Latin ēvānēscent- (stem of ēvānēscēns ) “vanishing, disappearing”; see evanesce, -ent

Other words from evanescent

ev·a·nes·cence, noun
ev·a·nes·cent·ly, adverb
non·ev·a·nes·cent, adjective
non·ev·a·nes·cent·ly, adverb
un·ev·a·nes·cent, adjective
un·ev·a·nes·cent·ly, adverb

Words Nearby evanescent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use evanescent in a sentence

Often taken outside in waterfront locations, the photos capture evanescent moments and things — surf, shadows and twilight — and everyday places and people.
In the galleries: Exploring how body language is a visual form of communication | Mark Jenkins | June 11, 2021 | Washington Post
And always in the background, evanescent but, in the end, accountable, is Rupert Murdoch—courted, feared and sometimes loathed.
Murdoch on the Rocks: How a Lone Reporter Revealed the Mogul's Tabloid Terror Machine | Clive Irving | August 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But that support was evanescent; it's already back below 50%, and probably still falling.
Memo: The Aaron Sorkin Model of Political Discourse Doesn't Actually Work | Megan McArdle | April 23, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
They are imagined as disembodied spirits, and are often visualized as vague or evanescent forms; hence, the white sheet routine.
What's the Difference Between Ghouls, Goblins, and Ghosts? | Dictionary.com | November 1, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
When he does, for short walks on moonless nights or for the occasional meal, these evanescent periods of freedom are thrilling.
Lost Masterpieces | Jacob Silverman | August 18, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST

But success in a mission of this size may only bring limited and evanescent political benefits.
Obama's Pirate Coup | Julian Zelizer | April 13, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
There are those who think that this excitement among the people will prove transitory and evanescent.
Select Speeches of Daniel Webster | Daniel Webster
What a pity that they are as evanescent as the bloom of these flowers and the fragrance they exhale!
Ernest Linwood | Caroline Lee Hentz
Its nature is like opaline dove's-neck lustres, hovering and evanescent.
Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources | James Wood
Splits and rents broke into the margin, and from each streamed the evanescent, azure vapour.
The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas Mawson
A "brilliant display," we would say, and the observer would be kept busy following the track of the evanescent rays.
The Home of the Blizzard | Douglas Mawson

British Dictionary definitions for evanescent

evanescent

/ (ˌɛvəˈnɛsənt) /

adjective

passing out of sight; fading away; vanishing
ephemeral or transitory

Derived forms of evanescent

evanescence, noun
evanescently, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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