evanescent

/iːvə-/

Group 8Difficulty 3/3

Definition

(adjective)
Soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading
GRE

Example in Context

The evanescent beauty of the cherry blossoms, lasting scarcely a week before the petals fell, drew thousands of visitors to the garden.

Synonyms

fleetingvanishingfading

Etymology

Disappearing out of sight, like a puff of smoke.

  • e- (Latin) — out of
  • vanescere (Latin) — to disappear

Memory Aid

💨Sounds like “Evan Essent

Evan’s ESSENTIAL magic trick makes the rabbit EVANESCENT into thin air!

Visual Association

🌫️A misty landscape where a rainbow appears and vanishes like a fleeting thought.

Semantic Clusters

Synonym Groups

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “evanescent” mean on the GRE?

evanescent (adjective) means “Soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading”. The evanescent beauty of the cherry blossoms, lasting scarcely a week before the petals fell, drew thousands of visitors to the garden.

How to remember “evanescent” for the GRE?

Mnemonic: “evanescent” sounds like “Evan Essent”. Evan’s ESSENTIAL magic trick makes the rabbit EVANESCENT into thin air!

What are synonyms for “evanescent”?

Common synonyms: fleeting, vanishing, fading.