shorten

verb
UK: /ˈʃɔːrtn/
US: /ˈʃɔːrtn/

  1. To make something shorter.

    1. I want to shorten this dress, it's too long for me.
    2. We need to shorten the meeting so everyone can leave on time.

  2. To become shorter in length or duration.

    1. Days shorten in the winter, and nights become longer.
    2. The play will shorten after the interval by about fifteen minutes.

Synonyms

abbreviate reduce cut condense lessen trim

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "shorten" in English means: To make something shorter., To become shorter in length or duration..

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

Synonyms for "shorten": abbreviate, reduce, cut, condense, lessen, trim.

Example usage of "shorten": "I want to shorten this dress, it's too long for me.". More examples on the page.