short

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA ^(key): /ʃɔːt/, SAMPA: /SO:t/
• (US) enPR: shôrt, IPA ^(key): /ʃɔrt/, SAMPA: /SOrt/
• (AU) (NZ) IPA ^(key): /ʃoːt/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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Adjective

Positive short

Comparative shorter

Superlative shortest

1. If something is short then there is a small distance from the bottom to the top. The opposite is tall.

   I can't reach the table because I'm too short.

   The more I use the pencil, the shorter it becomes.

2. If something is short then there is a small distance from the one end to the other. The opposite is long.

   They cut short their vacation when the weather changed.

3. If something is short then it takes a little time.

Preposition

Preposition short

1. Short of
   • Synonyms: except and apart from

   Nothing short of help from god will save him.

   Short of giving them the answers, there's nothing we can do.

2. If you're running short of something, you don't have enough.

   We're running short of time, so can you hurry up?

3. If something is short of it's target, it isn't all the way there.

   The plane touched down just short of the landing area.

Related words

• shortly
• shorten
• shorty