Short-lived

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /ʃɔɹtˈlaɪvd/, /ʃɔɹtˈlɪvd/; see usage notes below

Origin

From short + life + -ed.

Full definition of short-lived

Adjective

1. Alive or existent for only a short period of time.But his joy was short-lived, for his fortunes soon changed.

Usage notes

The pronunciation (the second syllable rhyming with hived) is more consistent with the etymology (since the term comes from the noun life rather than the verb live), and was formerly more common; however, the pronunciation (the second syllable pronounced as the verb lived) is more common today.

Synonyms

Related terms

• brief
• fleeting
• momentary