Fleeting means: Passing quickly; of short duration.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
fleeting
Passing quickly; of short duration.
Seen in the wild
9 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
"Ohanami" is cherry blossom viewing. In BL, falling petals often symbolize a fleeting, beautiful love. It’s the perfect setting for a first kiss! #Ohanami #SakuraBL
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BlueskyMay 2026
#Conquest is such fleeting pleasure. Return it. Bums.
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BlueskyMay 2026
#India’s #trans community finds fleeting #freedom at sacred #festival youtube.com/shorts/yGiI0...
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BlueskyMay 2026
I’m still pretty comfortable identifying with asexual though as I’ve only ever felt fleeting sexual attraction once in my life last year with a fictional character so I don’t think it counts as much lmao
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BlueskyMay 2026
That too is true. However, I quite like, in this world of instability, at least the appearance of stability, however fleeting, as opposed to six months of leadership challenges/elections resulting in a PM with as man…
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Definitions
Global
#1·Apr 27, 2026Global
Passing quickly; of short duration.
Origin: From , from , from , from .. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Fleeting means: Passing quickly; of short duration.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
fleeting means: Passing quickly; of short duration.. Register: neutral, standard English. Common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; always check the context before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
Heard in the wild
“I’m still pretty comfortable identifying with asexual though as I’ve only ever felt fleeting sexual attraction once in my life last year with a fictional character so I don’t think it counts as much lmao”
— Bluesky· May 2026“A Fleeting Moment of Surprise / 驚きの刹那”
— Bluesky· May 2026“But what do I know 'bout forever when so far I've been so fleeting? Babe, my frontal lobe's done growing, this might just be how I'm wired”
— Bluesky· May 2026“The fleeting sense of love within these god-forsaken halls”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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Global
#2·Apr 27, 2026Global
That which flees, especially quickly; fugitive.
Heard in the wild
“"Ohanami" is cherry blossom viewing. In BL, falling petals often symbolize a fleeting, beautiful love. It’s the perfect setting for a first kiss! #Ohanami #SakuraBL”
— Bluesky· May 2026“#Conquest is such fleeting pleasure. Return it. Bums.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“#India’s #trans community finds fleeting #freedom at sacred #festival youtube.com/shorts/yGiI0...”
— Bluesky· May 2026“That too is true. However, I quite like, in this world of instability, at least the appearance of stability, however fleeting, as opposed to six months of leadership challenges/elections resulting in a PM with as many internal enemies & less experience”
— Bluesky· May 2026“In the animal kingdom, timing is everything. Learn how species maximize their reproductive chances in a fleeting window of opportunity.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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Global
#3·Apr 27, 2026Global
(US, rail transport) An automatic operation mode of an absolute signal that reserves a route for several trains following one another, without the need for dispatcher to re-set the route for each train.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "fleeting" (F)
flaysomeflea bagfleabagFleabag erafleechfleekyfleetingsFleet marriageFleet parsonFlemish accountflerfflesh and blood
Browse all slang words starting with F.