The word “short” can mean many things, like not tall, not enough, or something that ends quickly. In English, people often use the word “short” in idioms. Idioms are special phrases that don’t mean exactly what they say, but they help us explain things in a fun and clear way.
In this article, we’ll explore idioms that use the word “short.” These sayings can help us talk about time, size, or even someone’s behavior. Let’s look at these idioms and see how they help us describe things that are small, fast, or lacking something.
Idioms for Short
1. Cut short
Meaning: Ended early.
Samples: Our game was cut short by the rain. / The trip was cut short because of an emergency.
To Put it Another Way: Ended early. / Stopped before it was supposed to.
2. Short and sweet
Meaning: Brief but pleasant.
Samples: Her speech was short and sweet. / The movie review was short and sweet.
To Put it Another Way: Quick and nice. / Didn’t take long.
3. Run short
Meaning: Not have enough.
Samples: We ran short on glue during art class. / He ran short on time for his project.
To Put it Another Way: Didn’t have enough. / Ran out.
4. In short supply
Meaning: Not many left.
Samples: Markers were in short supply. / The snacks were in short supply after lunch.
To Put it Another Way: Almost gone. / Few remaining.
5. Short fuse
Meaning: Gets angry easily.
Samples: He has a short fuse when people tease him. / She lost her temper she has a short fuse.
To Put it Another Way: Gets mad fast. / Not patient.
6. Come up short
Meaning: Not quite succeed.
Samples: We came up short in the spelling bee. / I came up short on my math quiz.
To Put it Another Way: Didn’t win. / Almost made it.
7. Sell someone short
Meaning: Not see someone’s full ability.
Samples: Don’t sell yourself short you did a great job! / They sold her short in the group project.
To Put it Another Way: Didn’t give credit. / Underestimated.
8. A day late and a dollar short
Meaning: Too late and not enough.
Samples: His help was a day late and a dollar short. / She showed up with ideas a day late and a dollar short.
To Put it Another Way: Too late to help. / Missed the moment.
9. Draw the short straw
Meaning: Get the worst choice.
Samples: I drew the short straw and had to clean up. / He always draws the short straw during games.
To Put it Another Way: Got the unlucky task. / Not a good pick.
10. Fall short
Meaning: Not meet the goal.
Samples: We fell short of our reading goal. / She fell short on the art contest.
To Put it Another Way: Didn’t reach the target. / Missed the goal.
11. Make short work of
Meaning: Finish something quickly.
Samples: We made short work of cleaning the room. / She made short work of the puzzle.
To Put it Another Way: Finished fast. / Did it quickly.
12. In short
Meaning: To say something briefly.
Samples: In short, we had a great time. / The answer, in short, is yes.
To Put it Another Way: To sum it up. / In a few words.
13. Short-handed
Meaning: Not enough people to help.
Samples: We were short-handed at practice today. / The library was short-handed during recess.
To Put it Another Way: Not enough help. / Missing team members.
14. Short-lived
Meaning: Didn’t last long.
Samples: Their fun was short-lived after the rain started. / Her joy was short-lived when the prize broke.
To Put it Another Way: Didn’t last. / Ended quickly.
15. Short notice
Meaning: Told right before something happens.
Samples: We had a quiz on short notice. / The meeting was announced on short notice.
To Put it Another Way: Not much time to prepare. / Last minute.
16. Short straw
Meaning: The unlucky or bad option.
Samples: I always get the short straw when it comes to chores. / He pulled the short straw again.
To Put it Another Way: Unlucky pick. / Worst choice.
17. Short stack
Meaning: A small pile (often pancakes or papers).
Samples: I had a short stack of pancakes. / She brought a short stack of forms.
To Put it Another Way: Small group or pile. / Not many.
18. Short on time
Meaning: Don’t have enough time.
Samples: We’re short on time, so let’s hurry. / She was short on time before class.
To Put it Another Way: In a rush. / Not enough time.
19. Stop short
Meaning: Suddenly stop what you’re doing.
Samples: He stopped short when he saw the sign. / I stopped short at the edge of the field.
To Put it Another Way: Stopped fast. / Halted suddenly.
20. Come up a bit short
Meaning: Almost make it, but not quite.
Samples: We came up a bit short in the game. / Her answer came up a bit short on details.
To Put it Another Way: Nearly got it. / Just missed.
21. Short memory
Meaning: Forgets things quickly.
Samples: He has a short memory for dates. / I have a short memory when it comes to names.
To Put it Another Way: Forgets easily. / Doesn’t remember long.
22. Short run
Meaning: For a brief period.
Samples: It was fun for a short run. / The show lasted a short run.
To Put it Another Way: Didn’t last long. / Was brief.
23. Short circuit
Meaning: A failure or mistake (also electrical).
Samples: The plan had a short circuit. / Something short-circuited in the system.
To Put it Another Way: Didn’t work. / Something went wrong.
24. Short leash
Meaning: Controlled closely.
Samples: He’s on a short leash during the trip. / The team is on a short leash this week.
To Put it Another Way: Watched closely. / Not much freedom.
25. In short order
Meaning: Very quickly.
Samples: We finished the task in short order. / They set up the room in short order.
To Put it Another Way: Done fast. / Quickly completed.
26. Short attention span
Meaning: Hard to focus for long.
Samples: He has a short attention span during class. / A short attention span makes reading tough.
To Put it Another Way: Can’t focus long. / Gets distracted.
27. Short list
Meaning: Final group chosen from many.
Samples: She made the short list for class president. / Our idea is on the short list.
To Put it Another Way: Final choices. / Top picks.
28. Come up short-handed
Meaning: Arrive without what you need.
Samples: We came up short-handed for the party. / He came up short-handed for the project.
To Put it Another Way: Didn’t bring enough. / Missing things.
29. Short trip
Meaning: A very quick visit.
Samples: We made a short trip to the library. / The class took a short trip to the gym.
To Put it Another Way: Quick visit. / Didn’t take long.
30. Short change
Meaning: Treat unfairly or give less than deserved.
Samples: Don’t shortchange yourself, you worked hard! / She felt shortchanged by the prize.
To Put it Another Way: Treated unfairly. / Got less than expected.
Find the Topics: Idioms for Short
Reading Passage: “The Group Project Rush”
It was Friday morning when Ms. Hill gave out the science project due Monday! “Sorry for the short notice,” she said. Mia and her group were short on time, but they agreed to make short work of it after school.
When they met later, they were short-handed since Liam was sick. They came up a bit short on glue and had to use tape. Ava said, “Let’s not sell ourselves short this can still be great.”
They stayed focused and finished in short order. The next day, they found out they made the short list for the school fair. Their hard work, even on short notice, had paid off.
Your Task:
Underline or list all 8 idioms for short used in the story.
Answer Key
- Short notice
- Short on time
- Make short work of
- Short-handed
- Came up a bit short
- Sell ourselves short
- In short order
- Short list
Conclusion
The word “short” shows up in many idioms that describe things like time, effort, or results. These idioms help us explain when something is quick, missing, or doesn’t quite work out.
By learning these idioms, we can share our thoughts more clearly. Whether you’re short on time or made the short list, these phrases help us describe moments in fun and simple ways. Try using one of the next time you’re in a rush or just finished a task quickly!
