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A Word A Day : Evanescent
Tuesday, 8th January 2008 : Today's Word is ...
Evanescent
Pronunciation : èvve-néss'-nt
1. disappearing after only a short time and soon forgotten
2. tending to become imperceptible, scarcely perceptible
3. of short duration, passing away quickly
4. vanishing or likely to vanish like vapor
Middle English vanish - meaning disappear
brief, disappearing, fading, tenuous, vanishing, ephemeral, fleet, fleeting, fugacious, fugitive, momentary, passing, short-lived, temporal, temporary, transient, transitory
NOTE :
1. Elusive is used when what is being avoided is physical capture or apprehension, whereas evasive is used when what is being avoided is direct or relevant response to a verbal challenge
2. Illusory means based on or having the nature of an illusion. Elusive means difficult to describe or skillful at eluding capture
enduring, eternal, everlasting, lasting, long-lived, permanent
• Noncooks think it's silly to invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment. But if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet. — Julia Child.
• In times of strong emotion mankind disdain all base considerations. But such times are evanescent.
• It is rather an alteration of perspective, a shifting of our sense of proportion, a vivid realization that we are insignificant and evanescent creatures, existing on sufferance and at the mercy of the first chill wind from the unknown.
evanescently: Adverb
evanescence: Noun
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