fleeting love

USAGE SUMMARY

"fleeting love" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is typically used to describe a type of love that is short-lived or transient. For example, "Their fleeting love was a beautiful thing, one that neither of them wanted to forget."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

A nice comic example comes in "Love so Fleeting, Love so Fine", where just the sign "Wendy is back!" in the window of a shoe-shop is enough to have the narrator imagine Wendy's whole life and fall in love with her.

The Guardian - Books

Despite the romantic bohemianism of his personal life and his many fleeting love affairs, he was a respected ethnologist and scholar.

Encyclopedia Britannica

But viewers needed to see him evolve into the person Mindy deserves, rather than just being a fleeting love interest, or the subject of seasons-long uncertainty.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Four years earlier, he had had a fleeting love affair with model Linda Lawrence, ex-girlfriend of the Rolling Stones' Brian Jones.

The Guardian - Music

Mr. Kosuth and a number of other notable artists were asked about the significance of Documenta for them, and their answers, compiled by Steven Henry Madoff, include everything from delight to disgust, from artistic revelation to the practicality of meeting a new gallery dealer and, in one case, finding (however fleeting) love.

The New York Times - Arts

This game – like their fleeting love for their country – will cease to exist the moment the final whistle goes.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Personality is fleeting, but love, love is eternal.

Huffington Post

One might liken it to the fleeting passion of puppy love, often brought on in an instant, versus the staying power of a genuine friendship, earned through time and manifestation.

Huffington Post

Stein compared passion for the tycoon to fleeting puppy love.

The Guardian

Pausanias differentiates between the fleeting physical love "of women as well as of youths" and the Uranian love "not [of] boys, but intelligent beings, whose reason is beginning to be developed, much about the time at which their beards begin to grow".

English Studies

First came a moody approach to his hit "Anything but Mine" — from his quadruple-platinum 2004 album "When the Sun Goes Down" — a languid song about fleeting summer love that had the grit of dark soul music, replete with choked singing by Mr. Chesney and hushed singalongs from the crowd.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fleeting love" to effectively convey the transient and impermanent nature of a romantic connection, especially in narratives exploring themes of change, loss, or the passage of time.

Common error

Avoid using "fleeting love" excessively in overly sentimental or melodramatic writing. Instead, employ it judiciously to create a subtle and impactful portrayal of transient relationships.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fleeting love" functions as a noun phrase, where the adjective 'fleeting' modifies the noun 'love'. This describes a specific quality of love, namely its transience. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Encyclopedias

15%

Science

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "fleeting love" effectively captures the idea of a love that is transient and short-lived. Ludwig AI confirms that it's grammatically correct and commonly used across diverse sources, particularly in News & Media. While it effectively describes impermanence, care should be taken to avoid overuse in sentimental contexts. Semantically related phrases include "temporary love" and "short-lived romance", offering alternative ways to convey the same sentiment. Understanding the nuances of "fleeting love" allows writers to use it with precision and impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

temporary love

Emphasizes the non-permanent nature of the affection.

transient affection

Highlights the short duration and passing nature of the sentiment.

short-lived romance

Focuses on the brevity and ephemeral quality of the romantic connection.

ephemeral love

Stresses the fleeting and almost dreamlike quality of the love.

passing infatuation

Suggests a brief and often superficial attraction.

momentary passion

Highlights the intensity but also the brief duration of the emotion.

brief affair

Implies a short and often secret romantic relationship.

seasonal romance

Connects the love to a specific time period, suggesting it won't last beyond that.

unenduring love

Directly states that the love lacks permanence.

vanishing love

Evokes a sense of disappearance and loss of affection.

FAQs

What does "fleeting love" mean?

"Fleeting love" describes a love that is short-lived or doesn't last long. It implies a temporary connection that fades quickly.

What can I say instead of "fleeting love"?

You can use alternatives like "temporary love", "transient affection", or "short-lived romance" depending on the context.

Is "fleeting love" a common expression?

Yes, "fleeting love" is a fairly common expression, particularly in literature, music, and discussions about relationships.

How can I use "fleeting love" in a sentence?

You might say, "Their summer romance was a beautiful example of "fleeting love", remembered fondly but never rekindled."