From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfleetingfleet‧ing /ˈfliːtɪŋ/ adjective [usually before noun] SHORT TIMElasting for only a short time SYN brief a fleeting smile For one fleeting moment, Paula allowed herself to forget her troubles. I caught a fleeting glimpse of them as they drove past. Carol was paying a fleeting visit to Paris.► see thesaurus at short —fleetingly adverb
Examples from the Corpus
fleeting• She felt a fleeting distant surprise as the cool night air whispered over her skin.• I caught a fleeting glimpse of them as they drove past.• The wind was tugging at her hair, the setting sun turning it to false and fleeting gold.• Thankfully both pilots came out of their fleeting meeting physically unscathed but both will remember the event for ever more.• A specific point of view of a space, in a fleeting moment of time, could be held in utter stillness.• Love flared through her, she felt desire and sadness too because she knew this was a fleeting moment.• He put the fleeting temptation aside, surprised that it had even occurred to him.fleeting visit• It was a fleeting visit, but in the best traditions of a charming Prince, he bowled them over.• When we met, Carol was paying a fleeting visit to Paris.Origin fleeting (1600-1700) fleet “to go quickly” ((16-19 centuries)), from Old English fleotan “to float” 