transient

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

noun one who stays for only a short time
noun (physics) a short-lived oscillation in a system caused by a sudden change of voltage or current or load
adjective of a mental act; causing effects outside the mind

From Late Latin transiēnt- (for classical transeunt-), stem of transiēns, present participle of trānsīre (“to go over, to pass”).

But it was only a transient happiness. — The Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain
But all excitements are, through a psychal necessity, transient. — The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven Edition: Table Of Contents And Index Of The Five Volumes, Edgar Allan Poe
He felt a quick revulsion from his transient friendliness. — Tales of Space and Time, H. G. (Herbert George) Wells

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