1
a
: having little length
b
: not tall or high : low
2
a
: not extended in time : brief
a short vacation
b
: not retentive
a short memory
c
: expeditious, quick
made short work of the problem
d
: seeming to pass quickly
made great progress in just a few short years
3
a
of a speech sound
: having a relatively short duration
b
: being the member of a pair of similarly spelled vowel or vowel-containing sounds that is descended from a vowel that was short in duration but is no longer so and that does not necessarily have duration as its chief distinguishing feature
short i in sin
c
of a syllable in prosody
(1)
: of relatively brief duration
(2)
4
: limited in distance
a short trip
5
a
: not coming up to a measure or requirement : insufficient
in short supply
b
: not reaching far enough
the throw to first was short
c
: enduring privation
d
: insufficiently supplied
short of breath
short of cash
short on brains
7
8
: payable at an early date
a short loan
9
a
: containing or cooked with shortening
b
of metal
: brittle under certain conditions
10
a
: not lengthy or drawn out
a short speech
b
: made briefer : abbreviated
11
a
: not having goods or property that one has sold in anticipation of a fall in prices
b
: consisting of, relating to, or engaging in the sale of securities or commodities that the seller does not possess or has not contracted for at the time of the sale
short sale
a short seller
12
: near the end of a tour of duty
1
: in a curt manner
2
: for or during a brief time
short-lasting
3
: at a disadvantage : unawares
caught short
4
: in an abrupt manner : suddenly
the car stopped short
5
: at some point or degree before a goal or limit aimed at or under consideration
the bombs fell short
quit a month short of graduation
6
: clean across
the axle was snapped short
7
: by or as if by a short sale
1
: the sum and substance : upshot
2
a
: a short syllable
b
: a short sound or signal
3
shorts plural
a
: a by-product of wheat milling that includes the germ, fine bran, and some flour
b
: refuse, clippings, or trimmings discarded in various manufacturing processes
4
a
: knee-length or less than knee-length trousers
—usually used in plural
b
shorts plural
: short drawers
c
: a size in clothing for short men
5
a
: one who operates on the short side of the market
b
shorts plural
: short-term bonds
6
7
8
9
a
b
: a brief story or article (as in a newspaper)
shorted; shorting; shorts
1
transitive + intransitive
: short-circuit
The electrical system also received upgrades: Most rooms had only three or fewer outlets, and plugging in multiple devices usually shorted the circuit.—
Steven Wyman-Blackburn
Steven Wyman-BlackburnThe housing association gave her a "temperamental" electric shower but this cannot be used as the time as other electric items—including the television—as it will cause the circuit to short.—Anna Slater
—often used with out in U.S. EnglishAnna Slater… microscopic particles of airborne dust are large enough to short out the chip's circuitry.—Michael Rothschild
Michael Rothschild… were sabotaging the system by deliberately entering incorrect information into the computers and, if all else failed, hosing the computers down until they shorted out.—John Sedgwick
John Sedgwick2
transitive
informal
: shortchange, cheat
When she returned minutes later, she handed me a twenty-dollar bill and a five. No change and no receipt, which meant I couldn't call her on the fact that she'd shorted Henry by sixty-six cents.—Sue Grafton
Sue Grafton3
transitive
finance
: to sell (a security) short in expectation of a fall in prices
a heavily shorted stock
Today [in 2003], only two per cent of all United States stock-market shares are shorted, and even with looser restrictions short selling is likely to remain uncommon.—James Surowiecki
James SurowieckiSynonyms
Adjective
Adverb
Verb
Examples of short in a Sentence
Adjective
One of my legs is slightly shorter than the other.
He is short for his age.
the shortest day of the year
Life's too short to worry about the past.
The movie was very short.
You have done a lot in a short space of time.
a short burst of speed
I've only lived here for a short time.
She has made great progress in a few short years.
He visited for two short weeks.
Adverb
He threw the ball short.
the bicyclist ahead of me unexpectedly pulled up short and I unavoidably plowed into him
Noun
The short before the main movie was very funny.
Verb
The lightning shorted the TV.
The hair dryer must have shorted.
Recent Examples on the WebChristopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2024
Yes, Noma sourced ingredients from a short radius around the Nordic, but one of its disciples claimed to do the same on a remote island in Washington State only to be caught buying roast chickens from Costco.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 15 June 2024
Alex Badia, WWD, 18 June 2024
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is coming up short in fundraising for his campaign despite trying a myriad of strategies.
—Jenny Goldsberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 June 2024
Lily Templeton, WWD, 19 June 2024
This year, the festival anticipated over 85,000 attendees over the course of the event’s six days, with 75+ feature films, 50+ shorts, and a number of other events to drive that attendance.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 June 2024
Kristian Winfield, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2024
The potential reward of getting in on its initial public offering (IPO) would be fantastic—and shorting the stock of every other company in the fashion industry crushed in Shein’s wake could be equally lucrative.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for short 
Adjective
The week’s biggest stories California weather El Niño makes an exit, but La Niña could bring dry conditions back to California.
‘Significant’ weekend warming will give Southern California a short break from June gloom.
—Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2024
Yes, Noma sourced ingredients from a short radius around the Nordic, but one of its disciples claimed to do the same on a remote island in Washington State only to be caught buying roast chickens from Costco.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 15 June 2024
Adverb
Within the dark shade, the ultra-baggy Bermuda board short paired with sleeveless numbers and lace-up shoes with tonal knee-high socks emerged as a new leisure suit of sorts.
—Alex Badia, WWD, 18 June 2024
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is coming up short in fundraising for his campaign despite trying a myriad of strategies.
—Jenny Goldsberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 June 2024
Noun
Designed in-house and sold direct-to-consumer, the brand’s prices start at under 100 euros for t-shirts and shorts, without breaking the 300-euro barrier even for leather jackets and outerwear.
—Lily Templeton, WWD, 19 June 2024
This year, the festival anticipated over 85,000 attendees over the course of the event’s six days, with 75+ feature films, 50+ shorts, and a number of other events to drive that attendance.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 June 2024
Verb
Hartenstein’s injury is a blow to a Knicks team already short its starting center.
—Kristian Winfield, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2024
The potential reward of getting in on its initial public offering (IPO) would be fantastic—and shorting the stock of every other company in the fashion industry crushed in Shein’s wake could be equally lucrative.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for short
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'short.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to short
Dictionary Entries Near short
Cite this Entry
“Short.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
short
1 of 4 adjective1
: having little length or height : not long or tall
2
a
: not long in time : brief
a short delay
b
: not great in distance
a short walk
3
: not remembering for long
a short memory
4
: of, relating to, or being one of the vowel sounds \ə, a, e, i, u̇\ and sometimes \ä\ and \ȯ\
5
a
: not coming up to the regular standard or to what is needed
gave short measure
in short supply
b
: not reaching far enough
the throw was short
c
: not having enough
short of cash
6
: easily upset
has a short temper
7
8
: cut down to a brief length
a short tax form
"doc" is short for "doctor"
short
2 of 4 adverb1
: with suddenness
stopped short
2
: so as not to reach as far as expected
fell short of the mark
short
3 of 4 noun1
: a short signal or sound (as in Morse Code)
2
plural
a
: pants that reach to the knees or not as far as the knees
b
: short underpants
3
short
4 of 4 verbLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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