ephemera

IPA/ɪˈfemərə/
IPA/ɪˈfemərə/

ephemera — noun

1. Small printed objects like tickets, posters, and programs that had a short pract

1.名詞C1
釋義

Small printed objects like tickets, posters, and programs that had a short practical purpose and were expected to be thrown away, yet people later start collecting them for their historical or sentimental value.

例句

Mayumi found train tickets and concert programs at a flea market — classic railway ephemera.

collectible paper items originally meant to be discarded

The museum exhibits theatre ephemera from the 1920s, including playbills and backstage passes.

同義詞
  • collectibles

    Broader term — includes coins, stamps, figurines, not just printed paper items

  • memorabilia

    Emphasises the connection to a specific event, person, or era rather than the throwaway origin

  • printed matter

    Neutral term for any printed material; lacks the 'discarded-then-collected' story

反義詞
  • keepsakes

    Items designed and kept specifically as mementos, unlike ephemera which were meant to be thrown away

  • heirlooms

    Valued objects passed down through generations, intended to last

文法句型

ephemera + singular verb (for a collection)

ephemera + plural verb (for individual items)

用法筆記

Though plural in form, 'ephemera' can take a singular verb when referring to a collection as a whole: 'The ephemera was carefully catalogued.' Use a plural verb when individual items are emphasised: 'These ephemera are from the 1920s.'

常見錯誤

❌I bought three ephemeras at the antique shop.
✅I bought three pieces of ephemera at the antique shop.
💡The word is already plural; do not add an -s ending.
❌The ephemera are a single collection of posters.
✅The ephemera is a single collection of posters.
💡Use a singular verb when referring to the whole set as one collection.

2. Events, fashions, ideas, or experiences that last for a very short time and have

2.名詞C1
釋義

Events, fashions, ideas, or experiences that last for a very short time and have no lasting meaning or importance.

例句

The fame from the viral video was ephemera, gone within a week.

metaphorical use: fame as ephemera

Hao reminded his friends that fashion trends are often ephemera, here today and forgotten tomorrow.

同義詞
  • transience

    Abstract noun for the quality of being temporary; 'ephemera' emphasises the things themselves, not the quality

  • fleetingness

    Emphasises how quickly something passes; slightly more poetic in tone

  • impermanence

    Broader philosophical term for the state of not lasting forever

反義詞
  • permanence

    The state of lasting indefinitely — the direct opposite of ephemera's transitory nature

  • endurance

    The ability to last over time without fading

文法句型

something is ephemera

treat something as ephemera

用法筆記

Typically used as an uncountable mass noun in this sense. Not used with numerals: write 'all this gossip is ephemera', not 'three ephemera'.

常見錯誤

❌These problems are ephemeras.
✅These problems are ephemera.
💡The word is already plural/uncountable; never add -s.
❌The ephemera of fashion lasts only a season.
✅Fashion trends are ephemera that last only a season.
💡When meaning 'transitory things', the sense works better as a predicate noun rather than a subject.