Word of the Week (WOW) is a weekly challenge created by Heena Rathore P. It’s a fun way to improve vocabulary by learning new words every week. To participate, simply do a post with your word and leave the link as a comment on Heena’s WOW post for this week (above link).

I’m looking at the letter E this week.

So here is my WOW for this week: 

Word

Ephemeral

Pronunciation:

e·phem·er·al  [ih-fem-er-uh-l]

Audio:

ephemeral

Part of Speech

Adjective

Related Forms:

Adverb: ephemerally

Noun: ephemeralness; ephemerality

Meaning

1.  Lasting for a markedly brief time:

Eating the chocolate ice-cream was an ephemeral pleasure in Ellie’s otherwise hectic day.

2.  Having a short lifespan or a short annual period of aboveground growth. Used especially of plants – as in chickweed:

Chickweed is known as an ephemeral weed because it produces several generations in one season.

3.  Noun: Anything that is short-lived, as certain insects – like mayflies.

Mayflies emerge from the water and live for only 24 hours – in which time they must mate and the female lay the eggs on the surface of the water. If enough of them appear at the same time, as in some species, they create a swarm.

Word Origin:

1570-80; from the Greek ephḗmer (os) meaning short-lived, lasting but a day

Synonyms:

evanescent, transient, momentary, brief, fleeting, impermanent, fugitive, passing, brief, temporary, transitory, short-lived, fugacious, short

Antonyms:

permanent

Use in a Sentence:

1. The blaze of colour along the valley seemed all the more wonderful to the hikers because it was so ephemeral: 

2. Lucy gazed at the old photo of two models wearing 1930’s style swimsuits, considering how fashions were so ephemeral: new ones come in and old ones disappear, perhaps to be reintroduced at a later date:

3. For my third example ‘sentence’ I have concocted this little tale, in which I have attempted to use the various forms of this week’s WOW:

King Eldrin of Elf Land glared at his daughter, Elinora, her pretty face marred by yet another ephemeral scowl. Desperately wanting the wilful young princess out of his hair, he hoped one of today’s contenders would suit her style.

But Elinora had rejected several suitors already, her affections as ephemeral as the beautiful daylilies adorning Eldrin’s palace grounds.

The ephemerality of Elinora’s affections worried King Eldrin, as his daughter was rapidly leaving her youth behind. His worried subjects would soon be assigning her spinster status. He understood too well the ephemeralness of beauty. One only had to look at his wife, Queen Ermintrude, whose rare beauty had rapidly deteriorated post wedlock. Before long she had begun to resemble the cow* after whom she was named.

Today, a handsome young prince named Elandorr would attempt to engage Elinora in ephemerally interesting conversation. As long as it held the girl’s attention for an hour, Eldrin would declare him the victor in this marriage game, as previously arranged. With a bit of luck, Elinora and her ephemeral nature would henceforth be Elandorr’s problem.

* Ermintrude was the name of the cow in the 1960’s cartoon series called The Magic Roundabout – since made into a film. Ermintrude was really quite sweet, so I mean no offence to her! All the pictures I could find of her were copyright, hence I’ve none to show here. 😦

If you’d like to view more interesting words, visit Heena’s Page

Word Treasure