short
short — verb
1. If a wire, plug, or device shorts, or if you short it, an electrical fault lets
If a wire, plug, or device shorts, or if you short it, an electrical fault lets the current take the wrong path and the power usually cuts out.
Élise's hairdryer shorted the moment she plugged it into the bathroom socket.
intransitive: device + shorts (subject is the device)
A leaking pipe dripped onto the fuse box and shorted the kitchen lights.
transitive: shorted + the [circuit/lights]
Bilal warned the workers that wet hands could short the old metal switch.
transitive: short + the [device]
The wires behind the washing machine shorted and tripped the whole house.
intransitive: wires + shorted
- short the wiring
- short the fuse
- wires shorted
- shorted out the power
- short-circuit
the formal full form; 'short' is just the casual clipped version
- blow
informal, used for fuses and bulbs failing under sudden load
Grammar Patterns
short [device]
[wire/circuit] shorts
Usage Note
Informal substitute for 'short-circuit'. Subject is usually the device or wiring itself; when transitive, the object is typically a circuit, fuse, or appliance, not a person.
Common Mistakes
2. to give a person less money, food, time, or attention than they have earned or a
to give a person less money, food, time, or attention than they have earned or asked for, so that they end up with too little.
The cashier shorted Yael by ten dollars and refused to check the till again.
short + person + by + amount
Amihan felt the new manager was shorting her on hours every week.
short + person + on + thing
Don't short the kids on dessert just because the adults arrived hungry.
imperative: don't short + person + on + thing
Yan complained that the food truck shorted him a taco in his order.
short + person + [missing item]
- short someone on hours
- short a customer
- short the tip
- feel shorted
- shortchange
near-identical, especially when the missing thing is money returned as change
- cheat
stronger; implies clear dishonesty, while 'short' can be careless rather than crooked
- overpay
give more than is owed
Grammar Patterns
short someone
short someone on something
Usage Note
Object must be a person (or group). What they were shorted of is introduced by 'on' or follows directly as a noun phrase. Common in service, payroll, and retail contexts.
Common Mistakes
3. to bet on a fall in price by selling shares or currency you have only borrowed,
to bet on a fall in price by selling shares or currency you have only borrowed, so that you can buy them back cheaper later and pocket the difference.
Nellie shorted the airline's stock the week before the strike was announced.
short + [company stock]
Two hedge funds had quietly shorted the Turkish lira ahead of the election.
short + [currency]
Kemi warned her clients not to short tech stocks during a strong earnings season.
short + [stock category]
Mateo lost almost everything when he shorted the company a day before its merger news.
short + [company] (object is the firm whose shares are sold)
- short a stock
- short the market
- short the dollar
- heavily shorted
- short-sell
the full technical form, common in news and analyst writing
- bet against
everyday paraphrase that names the underlying wager rather than the mechanism
- go long
buy and hold, betting the price will rise
Grammar Patterns
short [stock/currency]
Usage Note
Subject is normally an investor or fund; object is the stock, currency, or company whose price the trader expects to fall. Distinguish from sense 2: this is a market transaction, not an unfair act against a person.
Common Mistakes
short out
phrasal verbIf a piece of electrical equipment shorts out, an internal fault lets the current jump to the wrong path so the device suddenly stops working.
Emily's old toaster shorted out and filled the kitchen with smoke.
The stage lights shorted out twice during Astrid's first song.
short — noun
1. a small serving of strong alcohol such as whisky, gin, or vodka, served on its o
a small serving of strong alcohol such as whisky, gin, or vodka, served on its own without water, juice, or ice.
Owen ordered a short of whisky after his long shift at the hospital.
a short of + spirit name
The bartender lined up six shorts on the polished wooden counter.
plural countable noun
Nia prefers a short of gin to a tall cocktail with mixers.
contrast with mixed drinks
After dinner, the guests moved to the lounge for coffee and a short.
informal British register
- a short of whisky
- order a short
- down a short
- long drink
a tall glass with mixer added, the opposite of a neat short
Usage Note
Mainly British and informal; American English typically uses 'shot' instead. Often appears as 'a short of [spirit]'.
Common Mistakes
2. a film that runs for only a few minutes, often shown at festivals or, in earlier
a film that runs for only a few minutes, often shown at festivals or, in earlier cinema, before the main feature began.
Christopher's animated short won the top prize at the Berlin festival last spring.
festival-context collocation
Pixar releases a new short before each of its feature films.
pre-feature cinema usage
Talia is editing a fifteen-minute short about street musicians in Lisbon.
duration + topic collocation
The documentary shorts at this festival are stronger than the full-length films.
shorts vs full-length contrast
- animated short
- documentary short
- screen a short
- short film
the full term; 'short' alone is the casual industry shorthand
- short subject
older American term, mainly historical
- feature
a full-length cinema film, typically over 80 minutes
Usage Note
Often modified by genre (animated short, documentary short, comedy short) and length (a five-minute short). Distinct from sense 1 (drink) and sense 4 (baseball position) by film-industry context.
Common Mistakes
3. an unwanted connection inside a wiring system that lets electricity skip its pro
an unwanted connection inside a wiring system that lets electricity skip its proper path, often causing sparks, smoke, or a blown fuse.
Anjali traced the kitchen lights problem to a short in the old wall socket.
diagnose + a short
A short in the engine wiring set Ramón's motorbike on fire near the bridge.
causal: a short caused [event]
The electrician found a short behind the bathroom mirror after the lights kept flickering.
find / locate + a short
A small short in the charger made the phone too hot to hold.
informal shorthand for short circuit
- a short in the wiring
- cause a short
- find a short
- short circuit
the full technical term; same meaning, more formal
- wiring fault
broader; covers any wiring problem, not only short circuits
Usage Note
Casual everyday term for the formal 'short circuit'. Common in spoken contexts when discussing household wiring, appliances, or vehicles.
Common Mistakes
4. in baseball, the area lying just inside the diamond between third base and secon
in baseball, the area lying just inside the diamond between third base and second; also, the fielder whose job is to cover that area.
Mizuki has played short for the Tigers since her first year in college.
play short (no article)
The coach moved Quan from second base to short after the injury.
move someone to short
A sharp ground ball rolled past Élise at short and into left field.
at short — locative phrase
Few hitters can beat Shirin's quick throws from short to first base.
from short to + base
- play short
- at short
- from short to first
- shortstop
the formal full term for both the position and the player
Usage Note
Casual abbreviation of 'shortstop'; commonly used uncountably with 'play short', 'at short', or 'from short'. American sports-broadcast register.
Common Mistakes
short — adjective
1. having only a small length, distance from end to end, or height from the ground.
having only a small length, distance from end to end, or height from the ground.
Yasmin has very short hair that just covers her ears.
physical-length sense: short + body part
The walk from the train station to my flat is quite short.
short + distance noun (walk, drive, trip)
Cyrus is too short to reach the top shelf without a stool.
predicative use: too short to + infinitive
Tamsin wore a short black dress to her cousin's wedding party.
There was a short wooden fence around the vegetable garden.
- short hair
- short skirt
- short distance
- short walk
- short legs
Usage Note
Covers both length (a short rope, short hair) and height (a short man, a short tree). Use 'low' for things like buildings or shelves measured from the ground rather than living things.
Common Mistakes
2. in the form of a quicker, abbreviated version of someone's full name or a longer
in the form of a quicker, abbreviated version of someone's full name or a longer word.
My name is Benjamin, but everyone calls me Ben for short.
fixed phrase: for short
Most people in our office call her Liz, but it is short for Elizabeth.
be short for + full form
In British English, the word 'fridge' is short for refrigerator.
be short for + longer word
Felipe goes by Pip, which is short for his middle name Philip.
- short for
- for short
- be short for
- abbreviated
more formal; usually for written rather than spoken forms
Grammar Patterns
be short for + name/word
Usage Note
Almost always used in the patterns 'X is short for Y' or 'call someone X for short'. Not used attributively before a noun in this sense.
Common Mistakes
3. going on for only a brief period, or feeling as though it ended sooner than expe
going on for only a brief period, or feeling as though it ended sooner than expected.
The design team had a short break for coffee and then went back to work.
short + time-period noun (break, pause, rest)
Hana took a short nap before her evening shift at the hospital.
The summer holiday felt short this year because of all the rain.
subjective: 'felt short' = seemed to pass quickly
After a short silence, Reuben finally answered the question.
The flight to Osaka is quite short — only about three hours.
- short break
- short visit
- short time
- short while
- short trip
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 4 (short writing). Sense 3 is about how long something lasts in time; sense 4 is about how many words something contains. A short visit (sense 3) can still involve a long conversation.
Common Mistakes
4. (of a piece of writing or speech) using only a few words, so that it does not ta
(of a piece of writing or speech) using only a few words, so that it does not take long to read or hear.
Élise wrote a short note to thank her landlord for fixing the heater.
short + writing noun (note, letter, email)
The teacher asked the class to write a short story about their summer.
Daniel gave a short speech at his sister's wedding and sat down.
I sent the team a short email explaining the new meeting time.
- short note
- short letter
- short story
- short email
- short speech
- long
containing many words
Usage Note
Subject is usually a piece of writing (note, letter, email, story, article) or a piece of speech (talk, speech, message). Often signals that something is deliberately kept compact, not lacking content.
5. lacking the amount of an everyday resource — money, time, staff, or points — req
lacking the amount of an everyday resource — money, time, staff, or points — required to finish a task or meet a target, often by a measurable gap.
I'm a bit short of cash this week — can I pay you back on Friday?
be short of + money/resource
The PTA committee is short of volunteers for the school sports day on Saturday.
predicative: be short of + people
Sivan was two points short of passing her final maths exam.
short of + a goal or target
The charity is still short by about three thousand dollars.
short by + amount needed
Sorry I can't chat — I'm really short of time this morning.
- short of money
- short of time
- short of staff
- short of breath
- running short
- plenty of
having more than enough
Grammar Patterns
be short of + noun
be short by + amount
Usage Note
Predicative only (after 'be', 'feel', 'run'); often pairs with a measurable gap — 'two points short', 'short by ten dollars'. Distinguish from sense 8 (WITHOUT NECESSITIES), which is about a person or family lacking basic things they rely on to live (food, water, sleep), not about falling short of a target or budget. Also distinguish from sense 7, where the resource itself is the subject ('volunteers are short' vs 'we are short of volunteers').
Common Mistakes
6. having trouble breathing properly, usually after physical effort or because you
having trouble breathing properly, usually after physical effort or because you are unwell.
After running up six flights of stairs, Brandon was short of breath.
fixed phrase: short of breath
Defne felt short of breath and had to sit down on the bench.
If you are often short of breath, you should see a doctor soon.
common medical context
Lukas grew short of breath halfway up the mountain trail.
- short of breath
- be short of breath
- feel short of breath
- breathless
single-word equivalent; often after sudden effort or excitement
- winded
informal; often after a punch or hard physical effort
Grammar Patterns
be short of breath
Usage Note
Almost exclusively used in the fixed phrase 'short of breath'. The noun form 'shortness of breath' is the standard medical term doctors use.
Common Mistakes
7. describes a thing — like fresh water, hospital beds, or skilled workers — that i
describes a thing — like fresh water, hospital beds, or skilled workers — that is hard to obtain because there is not as much of it around as people want or need.
Clean drinking water was short in the village after the storm damaged the main pipe.
predicative use: [resource] is short
Train tickets for the holiday weekend are always short, so Hugo books his seat months ahead.
predicative use after 'are'
Fresh vegetables were in short supply at the market because heavy rain had ruined the local crops.
fixed phrase: in short supply
Trained nurses were short in many rural towns near Devika's family farm.
subject is a profession
With so many tourists visiting, hotel rooms in the old city were short for the whole summer.
- in short supply
- running short
- short of stock
- scarce
more formal; emphasises that the thing is hard to find anywhere
- limited
neutral; suggests a fixed small amount rather than shortage
- insufficient
formal; stresses that the amount is below what is needed
Grammar Patterns
something is short
something is in short supply
Usage Note
Often appears in the fixed phrase 'in short supply' rather than as a bare predicate. Subject is typically a resource, commodity, or skilled worker — not an emotion or quality. Distinguish from sense 5 (LACKING / not having enough), where the subject is a person who lacks something; here the subject IS the scarce thing itself.
Common Mistakes
8. describing a person, household, or community that does not have enough of a basi
describing a person, household, or community that does not have enough of a basic thing they rely on for daily life — food, water, sleep, warm clothes, or other survival needs — so that everyday living becomes harder.
After paying the rent, the Okafor family was short of cash and could only afford rice for dinner.
be short of + concrete need
Esteban looked pale at the meeting because he had been short of sleep for three nights in a row.
be short of sleep (idiomatic)
Many farmers in the dry region are short of water and must walk long distances to fill their buckets.
subject is a person/group
The shelter is short of warm coats this winter, so volunteers are asking neighbours for donations.
organisational subject
Jin admitted he was short of ideas for the science project and asked his teacher for help.
be short of + abstract noun
- short of cash
- short of breath
- short of time
- short of ideas
- short of staff
- well-stocked
having plenty of supplies
- well-supplied
having enough of what is needed
Grammar Patterns
be short of + noun
Usage Note
Object of 'of' must be a basic-need noun (food, water, sleep, shelter, warm clothes) — something the subject's daily wellbeing depends on. Distinguish from sense 5 (NOT ENOUGH), which is about falling short of a target or budget by a measurable amount ('two points short', 'short by $50'); sense 8 carries a hardship sense that sense 5 does not. Also distinguish from sense 7 (IN SHORT SUPPLY), where the scarce thing itself is the subject — 'water is short' (sense 7) versus 'the village is short of water' (this sense).
Common Mistakes
9. if you are short with someone, you reply using only a few clipped words whose to
if you are short with someone, you reply using only a few clipped words whose tone sounds rude, impatient, or mildly angry — often because you are tired, busy, or annoyed.
Aylin was short with the customer who kept asking the same question, and her manager later pulled her aside.
be short with + person
I'm sorry I was so short on the phone earlier — I was rushing to catch the last train home.
apologetic register
Stefan gave a short answer when his sister asked about the broken window, then walked out of the kitchen.
attributive use: a short answer/reply
The receptionist was unusually short with visitors that morning because the printer had broken twice already.
explains cause of curtness
Don't be short with your grandmother just because she repeats her stories.
imperative warning
- short with someone
- a bit short
- short tone
- short reply
Grammar Patterns
be short with someone
Usage Note
Used predicatively, almost always as 'be short with + person'. Carries a mild negative judgement — the speaker thinks the curtness was unjustified or hurtful. Often softened by an explanation ('sorry I was short, I was tired'). Do not confuse with sense 4 (a short reply = brief in length), which is neutral; this sense adds the rude or impatient tone.
Common Mistakes
at short notice
idiomwith very little warning or time to prepare in advance.
Gita managed to book a hotel room at short notice when her meeting was moved up.
The musicians had to learn the new song at very short notice.
in short
idiomused before summing up an idea in just a few words.
The food was cold, the service was slow — in short, the dinner was a disaster.
In short, the renovation team will need more time and a bigger budget to finish the kitchen.
in short supply
idiomavailable in much smaller amounts than people want or need.
Clean drinking water was in short supply after the typhoon hit the village.
Skilled nurses are in short supply across many rural hospitals.
in the short term
idiomduring the period soon after now, rather than far into the future.
In the short term, the new tax may slow business, but it should help the economy later.
The factory cut thirty workers in the short term but struggled to fill orders a year later.
in the short run
idiomin the period immediately following now; over the next short while.
In the short run, petrol prices rose after the local refinery closed, but they settled within six months.
to finish or defeat something quickly and easily.
Jabari made short work of the leftover pizza when he came home from football.
The carpenter made short work of fixing the broken kitchen door.
short and sweet
idiomlasting only a brief time, but enjoyable or to the point while it lasts.
Christopher kept his thank-you speech short and sweet, and the guests cheered.
Our visit to the village was short and sweet, but we loved it.
used when you skip the details of a story and jump to the result or main point.
To cut a long story short, the train broke down and we had to walk home.
Long story short: I missed my flight and had to rebook for the morning.
have a short fuse
idiomto get angry very quickly over small problems.
My uncle has a short fuse, so we never bring up politics at family dinners.
The coach has a short fuse when players arrive late to training.
have a short temper
idiomto lose patience and become angry very easily.
Lakan has a short temper when he hasn't had enough sleep.
The shop owner has a short temper with customers who try to bargain.
to deal with someone or their idea quickly and rudely, without proper attention.
The committee gave his proposal short shrift and moved on to the next item.
Reporters were given short shrift by the busy minister outside the building.
to end up with the worst part of a deal, task, or situation.
When we divided the chores, my brother got the short end of the stick — cleaning the bathroom.
Younger workers often get the short end of the stick during company layoffs.
nothing short of
idiomused to stress that something can only be described in very strong terms.
The young surgeon's recovery from her injury was nothing short of amazing.
The team's comeback in the second half was nothing short of a miracle.
life's too short
idiomused to say that something is not worth your time or worry, because life is brief.
Life's too short to argue with strangers about the weather online.
Quit that job if you hate it — life's too short.
in short order
idiomvery quickly and without trouble or delay.
The mechanic fixed the leaking pipe in short order and refused to charge extra.
The new manager solved the staffing problem in short order.
short — adverb
1. earlier than a planned time, or at a point that does not reach the place, level,
earlier than a planned time, or at a point that does not reach the place, level, or amount you wanted.
Yuki's arrow landed two metres short of the target.
short of + noun for not reaching a goal
Paloma stopped short when she saw the deer crossing the road.
stop short for halting suddenly before going further
The marathon route was cut short because of the storm.
passive: cut short for ending earlier than planned
Bilal's savings fell short by about two hundred dollars.
fall short by + amount for not reaching a target
The bus pulled up just short of the station entrance.
short of + place for stopping before reaching it
- stop short
- cut short
- fall short
- pull up short
- stop short of
- prematurely
more formal; refers only to time, not distance or amount
- early
neutral and broad; 'short' specifically suggests not reaching a target
Grammar Patterns
stop short
fall short of + noun
cut short + noun
Usage Note
Almost always used in fixed combinations: 'stop short', 'fall short (of)', 'cut short', 'pull up short', or with 'of + noun' to name the target not reached. Rarely stands alone after a verb.
Common Mistakes
short — prefix
1. joins with an -ed adjective made from a noun to say that the named part of someo
joins with an -ed adjective made from a noun to say that the named part of someone or something is small in length.
Erik adopted a short-haired terrier from the shelter near his office.
short- + noun-ed: short-haired
Mayumi wore a short-sleeved blouse to the picnic in the park.
short- + noun-ed: short-sleeved
The farmer raised short-legged sheep that handled the rocky hillside well.
describes a body part as small in length
Antonia bought a short-stemmed rose for her grandmother's birthday.
short- + noun-ed: short-stemmed
Roya prefers short-necked vases because they suit the tulips on her desk.
- short-haired
- short-sleeved
- short-legged
- short-stemmed
- short-necked
- short-tailed
- long-
opposite prefix: long-haired, long-sleeved, long-legged
Grammar Patterns
short- + [noun]-ed (e.g. short-haired, short-sleeved)
Usage Note
Always written with a hyphen and attached to an -ed adjective formed from a concrete noun (hair, sleeve, leg, stem). Cannot stand alone or combine with verbs.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- shortenverbB1
- shortlyadverbB2
- shortnessnounC1
- shortagenounB2
- shortcutnounB2
- shortsnounA2
- shortynounC2
- shortstopnounC2
- shortcomingnounC1
- shorthandnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/3
All four words describe something that does not last or extend long, but they differ in tone and what they describe. 'Short' is the everyday, neutral choice and works for time, length, and writing alike — a short walk, a short meeting, a short email. 'Brief' is slightly more formal and almost always refers to time or to a piece of writing or speech that is deliberately compact; you would write 'a brief statement to the press' rather than 'a short statement to the press' in a news report. 'Concise' carries praise: it describes writing or speech that says everything needed in few words and wastes none. 'Curt' is negative; it describes a reply or person whose few words sound rude or impatient. So a manager might write a brief email, prefer a concise report, but not appreciate a curt response from a colleague.
Common collocations
Nouns
- short break
- short distance
- short notice
- short supply
- short story
- short time
- short while
Adverbs
- very short
- quite short
- rather short
- remarkably short
- surprisingly short
- uncomfortably short
Phrases
- in short
- for short
- in the short term
- at short notice
- fall short of
- stop short
- cut short
- running short
Prepositions
- short of
- short for
- short by
- short with
- short on
Etymology
From Old English 'sceort', meaning small in length or stature, with parallels in Old Norse 'skortr' (a lack) and roots in Proto-Germanic 'skurtaz', linked to a verb meaning to cut. The 'lacking' senses grew naturally from the idea of something cut off before it reached full size, while modern uses for film, electricity, and finance are 19th- and 20th-century extensions of the core 'not enough length or amount' image.