fleeting

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. verb move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
  2. verb disappear gradually
  3. adjective lasting for a markedly brief time

Etymology

From Middle English fleten (“to float”), from Old English flēotan (“to float”), from Proto-Germanic *fleutaną, from Proto-Indo-European *plewd-. By surface analysis, fleet + -ing.

Synonyms

flit, flutter, fleet, dart

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