Brief and Passing

Brief

Brief adjective - Lasting only for a short time.
Usage example: a brief flash of light

Passing is a synonym for brief in temporary topic. In some cases you can use "Passing" instead the word "Brief" as an adjective or a noun, when it comes to topics like short in time.

Passing

Passing adjective - Lasting only for a short time.
Usage example: his parents were willing to buy him a piano if he demonstrated that his interest in music was more than a passing fancy

Brief is a synonym for passing in hasty topic. You can use "Brief" instead the word "Passing" as an adjective or a noun, if it concerns topics such as momentary, fleeting, temporary.

Nearby Words: pass, passage, passed, passable, passingly

How words are described

mention mention brief mention passing
few few brief few passing
last last brief last passing
different different brief different passing

Both words in one sentence

  • Fantasy Kitchen Sink Plus, reincarnation, zombies, a cosmic being or two, more magic, Japanese demons too... Most of this is merely mentioned in passing or a brief plot point, but bonus points for what is important overlapping; i.e.
  • Literature / And Another Thing... He's mentioned in passing (though not by name) near the end of the book, and then a few pages later said asteroid makes a brief appearance.
  • Science Marches On The book also mentiones zero-G environment only for a brief moment when the projectile was passing the point where the gravities of Earth and Moon cancel each other out.
Cite this Source
Passing and Brief. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/brief/passing
Brief & Passing. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/brief/passing>.
Passing or Brief. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/brief/passing.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "brief" and "passing" have occurred on timeline