short

adjective
UK: /ʃɔːt/
US: /ʃɔːrt/

  1. Small in length or height; not long.

    1. The short pencil is easy to carry in my pocket. [ ] [ ]
    2. The days are getting noticeably shorter as we move into autumn. [ ] [ ]

  2. Lasting a brief time; not long in duration.

    1. The movie was quite short, only about 90 minutes. [ ] [ ]
    2. We took a short break to stretch our legs after the long drive. [ ] [ ]

  3. Not having enough of something, especially money.

    1. I'm a little short this month, can I pay you back next week? [ ] [ ]
    2. The company was short on funds, leading to project delays and layoffs. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

brief small
short verb

  1. To intentionally avoid paying the full amount of money owed.

    1. He tried to short the bill, but was caught by the waiter. [ ] [ ]
    2. The cashier was fired for attempting to short the till every night. [ ] [ ]

  2. To sell a stock or other financial instrument that you do not own, hoping to buy it back later at a lower price and make a profit.

    1. Many investors decided to short the stock after the bad news broke. [ ] [ ]
    2. Short selling can be a risky strategy, but it can also be very rewarding. [ ] [ ]
short noun

  1. A situation in which there is not enough of something.

    1. There is a short of milk, so I can't make coffee now. [ ] [ ]
    2. Due to the drought, the region is experiencing a water short this summer. [ ] [ ]

  2. A short circuit.

    1. The short caused the lights to flicker and then go out entirely. [ ] [ ]
    2. The electrician found the short in the wiring and repaired it quickly. [ ] [ ]
short adverb

  1. Suddenly or abruptly.

    1. I stopped short when I saw the deer in the road. [ ] [ ]
    2. The conversation ended short after his inappropriate comment. [ ] [ ]
short transitive-verb

  1. To trick or deceive someone.

    1. Don't let him short you change, always count it. [ ] [ ]
    2. The vendor tried to short me on the weight of the fruit, but I noticed it. [ ] [ ]
short intransitive-verb

  1. To create a short circuit.

    1. The wires can short if they are touching each other. [ ] [ ]
    2. Faulty installation could short if it is exposed to moisture. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "short" in English means: Small in length or height; not long., Lasting a brief time; not long in duration., Not having enough of something, especially money..

The phonetic transcription of "short" is /ʃɔːt/ in British English and /ʃɔːrt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "short": brief, small.

Example usage of "short": "The short pencil is easy to carry in my pocket.". More examples on the page.