short

SHORT/ʃoɹt/SaySHAWT/ʃɔːt//ʃoːt/

Adjectiveshorter, shortest

Noun pluralshorts

41 meanings of short

Practice

1
small in lengthadjective
Measuring only a small distance from one end to the other.
Like a pencil worn down until only a little is left.
She cut the rope into short pieces.
The hallway was too short to fit a long table.
Oppositelong
Note
2
little timeadjective
Lasting only a small amount of time.
Like a nap that ends before you feel rested.
We took a short break before lunch.
The trip was short, just a few hours.
UsageSay a short break or a short trip.
Similarbrief, quick, momentary
Oppositelong
3
low in heightadjective
Not tall, measuring little from top to bottom.
Like a young tree that has not grown tall yet.
He was too short to reach the top shelf.
The short boy stood at the front of the line.
UsageThe opposite is tall: a short man, a tall man.
Similarsmall, low, little
Oppositetall, high
4
adjective
Of something written, like a list or a form, with not many words, pages, or items.
Please write a short note to your teacher explaining why you were absent.
My shopping list is short this week, so I'll be quick.
Similarbrief, concise
Oppositelong, lengthy
5
preposition
Not having enough of something that is needed.
Like a bag of ten apples when you needed twelve.
We're short three chairs for the meeting.
The team is short one player tonight.
UsageSay we are short three chairs.
Similarminus
6
fail to reachadverb
In a way that does not reach a goal or amount.
Like a throw that lands before it reaches the basket.
Their savings fell short of what they needed.
The arrow landed short of the target.
UsageSay the money fell short of what we needed.
Note
7
abbreviationadjective
Being a shorter way to say or write a longer word.
Like calling someone 'Mike' instead of 'Michael.'
The word 'app' is short for 'application.'
Everyone called her Liz, short for Elizabeth.
UsageSay app is short for application.
Note
8
adjective
Not enough, or not having enough of something you need, such as money or time.
Like a glass filled only halfway when you wanted it full.
Money is short this month, so we will eat at home.
Food was short during the long winter.
UsageSay money is short, or we ran short of food.
Similarscarce, low, limited, insufficient, inadequate
Oppositeplentiful, sufficient, abundant, ample
9
brief filmnouncountable
A movie that is much shorter than a full-length movie.
Like a quick song compared with a whole album.
Her short won an award at the festival.
They screened three shorts before the main feature.
Oppositefeature
Note
10
summarynouncountable
A quick summary that gives only the main points.
Like the back-of-the-book summary instead of the whole story.
The short of it is, the meeting got canceled.
I'm in a hurry, so just tell me the short of it.
UsageSay the short of it is, we lost.
Similarsummary, gist, rundown, synopsis
Note

Less common meanings

11
curtadjective
Speaking in a quick, slightly rude or unfriendly way.
Like answering 'fine' when you are really upset.
She was short with me when I asked for help.
His short answer showed he was annoyed.
UsageSay he was short with me.
Similarcurt, abrupt, brusque, terse, sharp
Oppositepatient, polite, courteous
Note
12
social media clipnouncountable
A very short video made to watch on a phone, like on YouTube or TikTok.
Like a tiny clip you watch in seconds, not a long movie.
She posted a funny short of her dog on the app.
His shorts get millions of views each week.
Similarclip, reel
13
fail (circuit)verbtransitive
To make electricity flow the wrong way in a wire or machine, or to have this fault.
Like pouring water into a machine until it sparks and dies.
A spilled drink can short the keyboard.
He accidentally shorted the laptop with a screwdriver.
UsageSay the keyboard shorted out.
Note
14
electrical faultnouncountable
A fault in which electricity flows along the wrong path, often causing damage.
Like water escaping through a crack instead of flowing down the pipe.
A short in the wiring caused the lights to fail.
The electrician traced the short to a frayed cable.
UsageSay there is a short in the wiring.
Similarfault
Note
15
sudden stopadverb
In a sudden, quick way.
Like slamming on the brakes all at once.
The car stopped short at the crossing.
She cut the call short when the doorbell rang.
UsageSay she stopped short, or cut the call short.
Similarabruptly, suddenly, dead
Note
16
give lessverbcolloquialtransitive
To give someone less than the amount they were promised.
Like getting nine cookies when someone promised you ten.
Don't short me on my change again.
The company tried to short its customers on every order.
UsageSay don't short me on my change.
Similarshortchange, cheat
17
verbtransitive
To sell shares you don't own yet, hoping to buy them back cheaper later.
Like borrowing a toy to sell now, planning to buy it back cheaper and return it.
Some traders short stocks they expect to drop.
He shorted the company's shares before the price fell.
Note
18
brief vowelnouncountable
A speech sound or vowel said quickly, taking only a brief moment.
Like a quick tap compared to a long press on a key.
In Latin poetry, one long syllable counts as two shorts.
Our teacher marked each short with a small curved line.
Oppositelong
Note
19
price-drop betnouncountable
A deal where someone sells a borrowed thing, hoping its price drops so they earn money.
Like a bet that something will get cheaper soon.
He opened a short on the airline stock last month.
Their shorts paid off when the market dropped.
Oppositelong
Note
20
adjective
In a money position that earns more when a price goes down instead of up.
Like betting that something will get cheaper, so you win when prices drop.
The trader is short on that stock right now.
Many investors went short on oil before the crash.
Similarbearish
Oppositelong
Note
21
baseballnouncountable
The player who stands between second and third base in baseball.
Like the guard who covers the middle of the floor in basketball.
He hit an easy ground ball to short.
She plays short for the school team.
Similarshortstop
Note
22
crumblyadjective
Easily broken into crumbs, the way certain pastries fall apart.
Like a dry cookie that breaks apart in your fingers.
The crust was so short it crumbled the moment she cut it.
Adding more butter makes the dough short and tender.
Similarcrumbly, crisp
Oppositetough, chewy
Note
23
price-drop investornouncountable
A person who sells borrowed shares, hoping the price will drop so they make money.
Like a person who cheers when prices drop, because that is when they win.
The short made a fortune when the company failed.
Shorts were blamed for driving the stock down.
Similarbear
Oppositebull, long
Note
24
bet againstadverb
In a way that profits when a price goes down rather than up.
Like placing your bet on prices falling, not rising.
She sold short and made money when the stock fell.
They traded short throughout the downturn.
Oppositelong
Note
25
preposition
Holding a position that gains when the named thing's price falls.
Like betting against a team, so you win when it loses.
The fund is short tech stocks this quarter.
Traders who are short crude profit when oil prices sink.
Note
26
adjectivecolloquial
Of a drink, made without water or anything added to it.
Like coffee made strong with no water added.
I don't want a long drink with soda, just a short one.
At the bar, she always orders short drinks, never mixed ones.
Similarneat, straight, undiluted
Oppositelong, diluted
Note
27
adjective
In cricket, of a ball, bowled so that it bounces a long way before it reaches the batter.
The bowler sent down a short ball that flew up past the batter's head.
That ball was too short, so he had time to hit it hard.
Oppositefull
Note
28
adjective
Describes a vowel or syllable said quickly, or one with the sound English calls short, the opposite of long.
The a in cat is short, but the a in cake is long.
Kids often learn the short vowel sounds first, like the i in sit.
Oppositelong
Note
29
nouncolloquialBritishcountablebritish
A small amount of a strong alcoholic drink, such as whiskey, rather than a bigger drink like beer.
He had a pint of bitter and then a short before going home.
She doesn't like beer, so at the pub she always orders a short.
UsageAt the pub you can have a short after a beer.
Similarshot
Note
30
adjective
Not sure you can trust or believe something.
31
adjective
In cricket, placed near the person batting.
32
adjective
In golf, of a shot, stopping before it reaches the hole or the green.
33
adjective
Of a bet, paying little because it will probably win.
34
adjectiveobsolete
Happening soon.
Marinell was sore offended / That his departure thence should be so short.
1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene
35
adjectivedated
Paid in as few banknotes as possible, using those worth the most.
36
adverb
Without warning.
37
adverb
In cricket, so that the ball lands far from the batter and bounces high.
38
noun
Clothing cut with less length for people who are not tall.
39
noun
In programming, a number type that holds only smaller whole numbers.
40
nounslangUS
A slang word for a car, used mostly in 'crack shorts,' meaning to break into cars.
41
verbobsolete
To make less long.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of short apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Old English sċeort, meaning "short." It goes back to older Germanic and Indo-European roots and is related to shirt, skirt, and curt.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Short derives from Old English sċeort, meaning "short." en.wiktionary.org
Short has older Germanic and Indo-European roots. en.wiktionary.org
Short is etymologically related to shirt, skirt, and curt. en.wiktionary.org