Lasting only a short time, and then gone. It is a formal, rather literary adjective.

Lasting only a short time, and then gone只持續很短的時間，然後就消失了. It is a formal, rather literary adjective它是一個正式、偏文學性的形容詞.

You meet it most often with words for feelings, states and conditions: transitory happiness, a transitory feeling of fear, a transitory phase in someone's life, the transitory nature of fame. The idea is not just that the thing is short — it is that it passes through and does not stay, so you cannot build on it. Because of that, the word usually carries a small sad or thoughtful colour: writers use it when they want you to feel that something good will not last, or to comfort someone that something bad will not last either.

You meet it most often with words for feelings, states and conditions你最常會看到它搭配表示感受、狀態、情況的字: transitory happiness, a transitory feeling of fear, a transitory phase in someone's life, the transitory nature of famea transitory happiness（短暫的快樂）、a transitory feeling of fear（一陣短暫的恐懼感）、a transitory phase in someone's life（人生中的一個短暫階段）、the transitory nature of fame（名聲的短暫本質）. The idea is not just that the thing is short這個概念不只是說那東西很短暫 — it is that it passes through and does not stay而是說它會經過、但不會停留, so you cannot build on it所以你無法在它上面建立什麼. Because of that正因為如此, the word usually carries a small sad or thoughtful colour這個詞通常帶著一點淡淡的哀傷或若有所思的色彩: writers use it when they want you to feel that something good will not last作家用它，是想讓你感覺到美好的事物不會長久, or to comfort someone that something bad will not last either或是用來安慰某人，壞事也同樣不會持續下去.

You would not normally use it for an ordinary short event. A meeting that lasts ten minutes is 'short', not 'transitory'. A holiday is 'brief'. Save 'transitory' for things that come and go on their own — moods, fashions, pain, beauty, life itself.

You would not normally use it for an ordinary short event你通常不會用它來形容一件普通的短暫事件. A meeting that lasts ten minutes is 'short', not 'transitory'一場只開十分鐘的會議是'short'（短的），不是'transitory'. A holiday is 'brief'一趟假期是'brief'（簡短的）. Save 'transitory' for things that come and go on their own把'transitory'留給那些自己來、自己走的東西 — moods, fashions, pain, beauty, life itself像是情緒、流行、疼痛、美貌，還有生命本身.

In medicine and psychology it appears in a plainer, more technical way, meaning simply 'temporary and not permanent': transitory memory loss, transitory symptoms. There, the sad colour drops away and it just means the problem went away by itself. In everyday speech Taiwanese students will hear 'temporary' or 'short-lived' far more often; 'transitory' belongs to writing, essays and serious talk.

In medicine and psychology在醫學和心理學裡 it appears in a plainer, more technical way它出現的方式比較平實、比較技術性, meaning simply 'temporary and not permanent'單純意思就是「暫時而非永久」: transitory memory loss, transitory symptomstransitory memory loss（短暫性失憶）、transitory symptoms（短暫性症狀）. There, the sad colour drops away在這裡，那種哀傷的色彩就消失了 and it just means the problem went away by itself只是單純表示問題自己就過去了. In everyday speech在日常口語裡 Taiwanese students will hear 'temporary' or 'short-lived' far more often台灣學生會更常聽到'temporary'或'short-lived'; 'transitory' belongs to writing, essays and serious talk'transitory'則屬於寫作、論說文和比較正式的談話.