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fugacious

[fyoo-gey-shuh s]
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adjective
  1. fleeting; transitory: a sensational story with but a fugacious claim on the public's attention.
  2. Botany. falling or fading early.
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Origin of fugacious

1625–35; < Latin fugāci- (stem of fugāx apt to flee, fleet, derivative of fugere to flee + -ous
Related formsfu·ga·cious·ly, adverbfu·ga·cious·ness, fu·gac·i·ty [fyoo-gas-i-tee] /fyuˈgæs ɪ ti/, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for fugacious

brief, ephemeral, evanescent, fleeting, impermanent, momentary, passing, short-lived, temporal, temporary, transient

Examples from the Web for fugacious

Historical Examples of fugacious

British Dictionary definitions for fugacious

fugacious

adjective
  1. passing quickly away; transitory; fleeting
  2. botany lasting for only a short timefugacious petals
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Derived Formsfugaciously, adverbfugaciousness, noun

Word Origin for fugacious

C17: from Latin fugax inclined to flee, swift, from fugere to flee; see fugitive
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

Word Origin and History for fugacious

adj.

"fleeing, likely to flee," 1630s, from Latin fugaci-, stem of fugax "apt to flee, timid," figuratively "transitory, fleeting," from fugere "to flee" (see fugitive) + -ous. Related: Fugaciously; fugaciousness.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper