flüchtiges

Flüchtiges is a German term used in several related ways. As an adjective, flüchtig describes something that is short-lived, transient or easily slipping away, such as flüchtige Erinnerungen (fleeting memories) or eine flüchtige Begegnung (a brief encounter). It can also appear in compounds and phrases that emphasize brevity or immediacy, and it is connected with the idea of change or instability, for example in Flüchtigkeitsfehler, a term for an omission caused by carelessness.

As a noun, das Flüchtige refers to the fleeting or impermanent aspect of things—the ephemera or transience of experience. In literary, philosophical, or everyday usage, the expression highlights how certain moments, impressions, or appearances tend to fade quickly. The plural die Flüchtigen exists in principle and can denote people who fled (fugitives) in a different sense of the same root, though in practice the noun with context usually points to the idea of transience.

In science, flüchtig is a technical descriptor for substances that readily vaporize at normal temperatures and pressures. The related noun Flüchtigkeit denotes volatility, the propensity of a substance to evaporate. This usage is common in chemistry, environmental science, and safety data contexts, where volatility influences handling, storage, and exposure considerations.

Etymology traces flüchtig to the Germanic root associated with flight or slipping away, linking the sense of rapid passage to both temporal and physical change. See also Flüchtigkeit, flüchtig (adjective), and related terms describing transient phenomena.