I. -sh(ē-)ənt, -zē-ənt, -sē-; -zhənt, -jənt adjective
Etymology: Latin transeunt-, transiens, present participle of transire to cross, pass by, from trans- + ire to go — more at issue
Date: 1599
1.
a. : passing especially quickly into and out of existence : transitory
transient beauty
b. : passing through or by a place with only a brief stay or sojourn
transient visitors
2. : affecting something or producing results beyond itself
• tran·sient·ly adverb
Synonyms:
transient , transitory , ephemeral , momentary , fugitive , fleeting , evanescent mean lasting or staying only a short time. transient applies to what is actually short in its duration or stay
a hotel catering primarily to transient guests
transitory applies to what is by its nature or essence bound to change, pass, or come to an end
fame in the movies is transitory
ephemeral implies striking brevity of life or duration
many slang words are ephemeral
momentary suggests coming and going quickly and therefore being merely a brief interruption of a more enduring state
my feelings of guilt were only momentary
fugitive and fleeting imply passing so quickly as to make apprehending difficult
let a fugitive smile flit across his face
fleeting moments of joy
evanescent suggests a quick vanishing and an airy or fragile quality
the story has an evanescent touch of whimsy that is lost in translation
II. noun
Date: 1652
1. : one that is transient: as
a. : a transient guest
b. : a person traveling about usually in search of work
2.
a. : a temporary oscillation that occurs in a circuit because of a sudden change of voltage or of load
b. : a transient current or voltage