Transient

medium

TRAN-shunt

adjective

Definition

Lasting only for a short time; temporary

Examples

The pain was transient and disappeared within hours.
She worked various transient jobs while searching for permanent employment.

Categories

GRE Tip

Transient is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "fleeting" or "ephemeral" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "permanent".

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