ephemeral
gb/ɪfˈɛmɚəl/ us/ɪfˈɛmɚəl/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
formal
C1
property
1
lasting only a short time
If something is ephemeral, it does not last long.
Usage pattern:
[something] is ephemeral; an ephemeral [noun]
Common mistake:
Often confused with 'temporary' (can be longer and more planned) and misspelled as *ephermeral*.
Synonyms
fleeting (Emphasizes how quickly something passes.)
|
short-lived (Plain and direct; focuses on limited duration.)
|
transitory (More formal; suggests not permanent by nature.)
Antonyms
enduring (Lasting for a long time despite difficulty or change.)
|
lasting (Continuing for a long time.)
|
permanent (Not expected to change or end.)
Collocations
ephemeral beauty
|ephemeral pleasure
|ephemeral moment
|ephemeral fame
|ephemeral nature
|ephemeral joy
|ephemeral relationship
|ephemeral trend
|ephemeral quality
|ephemeral existence
Themes
time
|describing_things
Examples
- The city’s fame was ephemeral, fading within a few months.
- Cherry blossoms are beautiful but ephemeral, lasting only a short time.
- They tried to capture the ephemeral feeling of summer in the song.
Learner examples
- Happiness can be ephemeral.
- The rain was ephemeral and stopped quickly.
adjective
technical
C1
property
2
temporary in computing systems
In technology, ephemeral means temporary and not saved permanently.
Usage pattern:
ephemeral [data/resource/instance]
Common mistake:
In tech writing, it does not mean 'unimportant'; it means 'not persistent' or 'short-lived by design'.
Synonyms
temporary (General term; not necessarily implying non-persistence.)
|
nonpersistent (More explicit about not being stored long-term.)
Antonyms
persistent (Designed to remain available and stored over time.)
|
durable (Able to survive failures and remain intact.)
Collocations
ephemeral data
|ephemeral storage
|ephemeral instance
|ephemeral container
|ephemeral environment
|ephemeral credentials
|ephemeral key
|ephemeral port
|ephemeral filesystem
|ephemeral volume
Themes
technology
|computing
Examples
- The service uses ephemeral containers that are created and destroyed on demand.
- Store logs in persistent storage, not in an ephemeral directory.
- The system generates ephemeral credentials that expire after a few minutes.
Learner examples
- This is ephemeral storage, so the files will disappear.
- The app creates an ephemeral password that expires soon.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
3
something that lasts briefly
An ephemeral is something that does not last long.
Usage pattern:
an ephemeral; ephemerals
Common mistake:
This noun use is less common than the adjective; many situations sound more natural with 'something ephemeral' or 'a fleeting thing'.
Synonyms
transient (Often used for things that exist briefly and then pass away.)
|
short-lived thing (More explicit and less formal.)
Antonyms
constant (Something that stays the same or continues over time.)
|
fixture (Something that is permanently present in a place or situation.)
Collocations
a cultural ephemeral
|digital ephemerals
|the ephemerals of everyday life
Themes
time
|describing_things
Examples
- In the museum’s archive, advertisements and ticket stubs are treated as ephemerals worth preserving.
- He collected the ephemerals of the internet—memes, slogans, and short-lived trends.
- The book is a study of ephemerals that shaped public opinion and then vanished.
Learner examples
- A postcard can be an ephemeral.
- She keeps old ephemerals in a box.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ephemeral
IPA
GB/ɪfˈɛmɚəl/
US/ɪfˈɛmɚəl/
Syllables & stress
eph - em - er - al (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (em)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: ephemeral
Noun
- Base: ephemeral
- Plural: ephemerals
Word family
Expressions
ephemeral content
1/ɪfˈɛmɚəl kˈɑntɛnt/
fixed phrase
posts that disappear after time
Ephemeral content is content online that disappears after a short time.
Examples
- Brands use ephemeral content to share behind-the-scenes clips.
- She prefers ephemeral content because it feels less permanent than a regular post.
- The app added tools for creating ephemeral content with a 24-hour timer.
ephemeral key
1/ɪfˈɛmɚəl kˈi/
fixed phrase
technical
one-time cryptographic key
An ephemeral key is a temporary security key used for a short time.
Examples
- The protocol uses an ephemeral key for each session.
- Ephemeral keys reduce the impact if a long-term key is compromised.
- The client generates an ephemeral key pair during the handshake.
ephemeral port
1/ɪfˈɛmɚəl pˈɔɹt/
fixed phrase
technical
short-term port used for connections
An ephemeral port is a temporary port number used during a network connection.
Examples
- The client opened an ephemeral port to connect to the server.
- Firewall rules must allow return traffic to ephemeral ports for established connections.
- Each new connection may use a different ephemeral port.
ephemeral storage
1/ɪfˈɛmɚəl stˈɔɹɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
technical
temporary storage that is not kept
Ephemeral storage is temporary storage; your data may be deleted soon.
Examples
- Don’t keep important files in ephemeral storage; they may be wiped on restart.
- The workload uses ephemeral storage for caches and temporary downloads.
- They moved the database off ephemeral storage to prevent data loss.