Ephemeral: meaning and SAT practice

Ephemeral (adjective) means: Lasting for a very short time only.

Ephemeral in a sentence

The beauty of cherry blossoms is ephemeral, lasting only weeks.

Similar: fleeting, transient, temporary, brief, momentary. Opposite: permanent, eternal, lasting.

SAT-style practice: what does “ephemeral” most nearly mean?

The beauty of cherry blossoms is ephemeral, lasting only weeks.

As used in the sentence, “ephemeral” most nearly means

  1. constant
  2. fleeting
  3. tearful
  4. uncertain
Show the answer

Answer: B. “ephemeral” means: Lasting for a very short time only. “fleeting” is the closest match in this sentence. The other choices are real SAT-level words, but none of them carries that meaning here.

On the digital SAT this is the “Words in Context” skill, about 7 of the 54 Reading and Writing questions. The test asks what a word means as used in the passage, so a word’s most common meaning is not always the answer. More of these, with full explanations, are on SAT Words in Context practice questions.

  • compendious: Containing or presenting information in a brief, condensed form.
  • evanescent: Tending to fade away or disappear quickly and completely.
  • laconic: Using very few words.
  • terse: Brief and concise, using few words.
  • commodious: Spacious and comfortable with plenty of room.
  • fractious: Easily upset, quarrelsome, or difficult to manage or control.

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