1
general::
adj.
stubby:
She rode a short horse.
adj.
diminutive:
He was a short man.
adj.
brief:
We had a short meeting.
adj.
concise:
The story was short and to the point.
adj.
wanting:
She was short of funds.
adj.
short pants:
She was wearing blue shorts
noun
underwear:
He was wearing shorts under his pants.
Simple Definitions
2
general::
time
short
not long:
• I lived in Tokyo for a short time. • Smokers have a shorter life expectancy than non-smokers.
brief
especially written lasting only for a short time. Brief is more formal than short , and is used especially in written English:
• The President will make a brief visit to Seattle today. • He coached Hingis for a brief period in the 1990s.
quick
[ only before noun ] taking a short time to do something:
• I had a quick look at the map. • He had a quick shower and then went out.
short-lived
lasting only for a short time – used especially when someone wishes that a good situation had been able to last for longer:
• short-lived success • The ceasefire was short-lived. • a short-lived romance • short-lived optimism about the economy
fleeting
lasting only for an extremely short time – used especially when someone wishes that something had been able to last for longer:
• a fleeting visit • a fleeting smile • She caught a fleeting glimpse of him. • a fleeting moment of happiness • a fleeting thought
momentary
lasting for a very short time – used especially about feelings or pauses:
• There was a momentary pause in the conversation. • The momentary panic ended when he found his two-year-old son waiting happily outside the store.
passing
[ only before noun ] lasting only for a short time – used especially when people are only interested in something or mention something for a short time:
• passing fashions • He made only a passing reference to war. • It’s just a passing phase (= it will end soon ) .
ephemeral
formal lasting only for a short time, and ending quickly like everything else in this world:
• Beauty is ephemeral. • the ephemeral nature of our existence • His wealth proved to be ephemeral.
person
short
someone who is short is not as tall as most people:
• He was a short fat man.
not very tall
quite short. This phrase sounds more gentle than saying that someone is short:
• She wasn’t very tall – maybe about 1.60 m.
small
short and with a small body:
• My mother was a small woman. • The girl was quite small for her age (= smaller than other girls of the same age ) .
petite
used about a woman who is attractively short and thin:
• She was a petite woman with blonde hair.
stocky
used about a boy or man who is short, heavy, and strong:
• Harry was stocky and middle-aged.
dumpy
short and fat:
• a dumpy girl with red hair
diminutive
formal literary very short or small – used especially in descriptions in novels:
• a diminutive figure dressed in black
stubby
stubby fingers or toes are short and thick:
• the baby’s stubby little fingers
Longman-Thesaurus
3
general::
adj. not measuring much from one end to the other VERBS be, look, seem ADV. extremely, really, very | comparatively, fairly, quite, rather, relatively a relatively short distance of 50 to 100 miles not lasting a long time VERBS be, feel, seem | become, get The working week is getting shorter and shorter. | make sth | keep sth Do you mind if we keep the meeting short? ADV. extremely, very | comparatively, fairly, quite, relatively It was all over in a relatively short space of time. not having enough of what is needed VERBS be, look Our team was one player short. | become, get We're getting short of funds. ADV. extremely, really, terribly, very, woefully If space is really short, that door can be moved. United looked woefully short of menace in attack. | a bit, quite, rather PREP. of Mike was a bit short of cash just then. rude VERBS be ADV. a bit, rather PREP. with Sorry I was a bit short with you earlier.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
4
general::
In addition to the idioms beginning with SHORT, Also see BY THE SHORT HAIRS; CAUGHT SHORT; CUT SHORT; FALL SHORT; FOR SHORT; IN BRIEF (SHORT); IN SHORT ORDER; IN SHORT SUPPLY; IN THE LONG (SHORT) RUN; LIFE IS TOO SHORT; LONG AND SHORT OF IT; LONG (SHORT) HAUL; MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT; MAKE SHORT WORK OF; NOTHING SHORT OF; RUN SHORT; SELL SHORT; STOP SHORT.
American Heritage Idioms