short-lived
short-LIVD
/ˌʃɔːrtˈlɪvd/
Lasting only a short time.
The most common and plain way to express transience.
The story behind the word. A straightforward English compound. Interestingly, the 'lived' part was originally 'lifed' (having a life), but over time the pronunciation shifted to 'lived'.
Word relationships
- brief: Brief is even shorter; short-lived implies a lifespan that was expected to be longer or simply ended quickly.
- long-lived: Long-lived means having a long life or duration.
Commonly confused with
- ephemeral: Short-lived is everyday language; ephemeral is literary.
Collocations
- short-lived success
- short-lived romance
- short-lived career
- short-lived excitement
Example sentences
- "The popularity of that fashion trend was short-lived, lasting only a few months." Describing a trend.
- "His anger was short-lived, and he soon apologized for his outburst." Describing a feeling.
Memory hook
It's exactly what it says: its life was short. Gone too soon.
When not to use
In highly formal academic writing, 'ephemeral' or 'transitory' might be preferred.
Fun facts
- While often pronounced with a short 'i' (like 'sit'), many linguists argue the 'correct' historical pronunciation is with a long 'i' (like 'side'), because it comes from the noun 'life'.
Explore more words
transience, infatuation, longevity, acute, brevity, skirmish
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