evanescent
Americanadjective
-
passing out of sight; fading away; vanishing
-
ephemeral or transitory
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of evanescent
First recorded in 1700–1805; from Latin ēvānēscent- (stem of ēvānēscēns ) “vanishing, disappearing”; see evanesce, -ent
Explanation
A beautiful sunset, a rainbow, a wonderful dream right before your alarm clock goes off — all of these could be described as evanescent, which means “fleeting” or “temporary.” Evanescent comes from the Latin ex, meaning "out of," and vanescere, meaning "to vanish." When pronouncing this word, emphasize the third syllable and note that the c is silent. You might want to practice saying evanescent a few times right now; if you stumble over pronunciation when you need this word the most, whatever you’re describing — be it a shooting star or a whiff of fragrant perfume — will be gone.
Vocabulary lists containing evanescent
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Evanescent is not the D.C. artist’s only mode.
From Washington Post • Nov. 23, 2016
Evanescent waves can reveal details smaller than a wavelength, but they are hard to capture because they peter out so quickly.
From Scientific American • Jul. 8, 2011
Evanescent and tender, It glows ruby-red where 'twas now ashen-grey; And purple and scarlet and gold in its splendour— Behold, 'tis that marvel, the birth of a day!
From Saltbush Bill, J. P. by Paterson, A. B. (Andrew Barton)
Lights as of the breaking Day Tremble with iridescent play, But now swiftly upward going, Evanescent colours showing, In some nook their beams concealing, Nor their wantonness revealing.
From The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, Volume II (of 2) by Crashaw, Richard
Evanescent, formless, unstable, impalpable, a fog of uncondensed experiences hovers over our consciousness like an atmosphere of uncombined gases.
From Choice Specimens of American Literature, and Literary Reader Being Selections from the Chief American Writers by Martin, Benj. N.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
