fugitive

Compared meaning: lasting only a short time (adjective).

比较义项：短暂的，持续时间短（形容词）。

• short

  The most common, neutral word for limited duration; used in everyday speech about almost anything, from breaks to lives, without special formality or literary flavor.

  最常见、最中性的表示时间短的词；用于日常生活中几乎任何事物，从休息到人生，没有特殊的正式感或文学色彩。

  We only had time for a short walk before it got dark.

  天黑之前我们只来得及散一个短暂的步。

• brief

  A more formal word, often describing meetings, talks, or documents that are deliberately kept short and efficient, rather than things that simply pass quickly.

  语气更正式，常用来形容会议、谈话或文件被刻意安排得简短高效，而不是自然而然很快过去的事物。

  The doctor gave a brief explanation before the surgery began.

  手术开始前，医生做了一个简短的说明。

• fugitive 本词

  A rare, literary word for something abstract that vanishes almost as soon as it appears, such as joy or beauty; not used in ordinary conversation.

  一个罕见的文学用词，形容抽象事物几乎一出现就消失，比如欢乐或美；日常口语中不使用。

  The poem mourns the fugitive beauty of youth, gone before we notice.

  这首诗哀叹青春那稍纵即逝的美，还没察觉就已经消逝。

• fleeting

  Describes moments, glances, emotions, or impressions that pass very quickly and are hard to hold onto; common in both everyday and literary contexts.

  形容转瞬即逝、难以把握的瞬间、眼神、情绪或印象；日常和文学语境中都常用。

  He gave a fleeting glance at his phone before the meeting started.

  会议开始前，他匆匆瞥了一眼手机。

Short, brief, fugitive, and fleeting all mean lasting a short time. Short is common. Brief is formal, for meetings or documents kept short. Fugitive is rare and literary, for things like joy. Fleeting describes moments or feelings that pass. Short's other meanings are not compared.

这几个词都可以表示“持续时间短”，但语气和语域不同：short最普通，brief较正式，fleeting强调转瞬即逝，fugitive多用于文学语境，形容抽象事物稍纵即逝。这里不比较short表示“矮的”或“短的（长度）”等其他义项。