Some things are here and gone: a rainbow, a firefly’s glow, a train passing through town. Others seem to last forever: a stone statue, a deep friendship, a stain that will not wash out. This topic gathers the words writers use for how long things last, and for whether they can change at all.
Key idea
Here and gone: ephemeral (a very short life), transient and transitory (passing, temporary), fleeting (over in a flash), evanescent (fading from sight). Here to stay: enduring (lasting long), perpetual (never stopping), indelible (cannot be erased). Change: mutable (can change), immutable (cannot).
The ten words
Common mistake
ephemeral things don't last, but that does not make them unimportant. indelible ink cannot be erased; an indelible memory cannot be forgotten.
| short-lived | flavor | long-lasting | flavor |
|---|---|---|---|
| ephemeral | a life of a day or so | enduring | stands the test of time |
| transient, transitory | temporary, passing through | perpetual | never stops |
| fleeting | over in a flash | indelible | cannot be erased or forgotten |
| evanescent | fades away as you watch | immutable | cannot change at all |
Short-lived does not mean unimportant: an ephemeral moment (a sunset, a first snowfall) can leave an indelible memory. And mutable/immutable are about change, not time: an immutable law could be brand-new.