Standard Lemma guide

shortness

noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: SH AO1 R T N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • the shortness of a stubby pencil
  • the patient's shortness of breath

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The result or product of being short.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The property of being short or terse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • I was chastened by the shortness of her reply.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

an abrupt discourteous manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abruptness, brusqueness, curtness, gruffness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: discourtesy, rudeness

5

noun

Meaning 5

the property of being shorter than average stature

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: tallness

Broader terms: stature, height

6

noun

Meaning 6

the property of being of short temporal extent

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the shortness of air travel time

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: longness

Broader terms: duration, length

Narrower terms: curtailment, briefness

7

noun

Meaning 7

the property of being of short spatial extent

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the shortness of the Channel crossing

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: longness

Broader terms: length

8

noun

Meaning 8

the property of being truncated or short

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: truncation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: lowness

9

noun

Meaning 9

the condition of being short of something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • there was no shortness of money
  • can cause shortness of breath

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: lack, deficiency, want

History

Etymology

From Middle English schortnesse, from Old English sċortnes, sċeortnys, equivalent to short + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: قِصَر (qiṣar) — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Azerbaijani: qısalıq — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Danish: korthed — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Esperanto: malalteco — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Estonian: lühidus — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Estonian: vähesus — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Finnish: lyhyys — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Finnish: täpäryys — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • French: exiguïté — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Galician: curtidade — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • German: Kürze — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Ancient Greek: βραχύτης (brakhútēs) — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Greenlandic: naassuseq — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Irish: giorracht — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Irish: giorra — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Korean: 짧음 (jjalbeum) — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Central Kurdish: کورتی (kurtî) — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Persian: کوتاهی (kutâhi) — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Russian: кра́ткость (krátkostʹ) — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Spanish: cortedad — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Swedish: korthet — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Turkish: kısalık — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
  • Volapük: bref — The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief
Real reading context

shortness in complete knowledge articles