The word short pops up in tons of colorful idioms—used to describe time, patience, height, memory, and even tempers. Here’s a list of some of the most common (and quirky) idioms involving short, along with meanings and example sentences to help them stick.
📏 Classic Idioms with “Short”
1. A day late and a dollar short
Meaning: Too late and lacking enough resources.
In a sentence: He tried to fix the project last minute—totally a day late and a dollar short.
2. Cut short
Meaning: Ended earlier than expected.
In a sentence: Our vacation was cut short because of the storm.
3. Short and sweet
Meaning: Brief but pleasant or to the point.
In a sentence: Her speech was short and sweet—just how everyone liked it.
4. Run short (of something)
Meaning: To nearly run out of something.
In a sentence: We’re running short on milk—can you grab some?
5. Stop short of (doing something)
Meaning: Almost do something but decide not to.
In a sentence: He stopped short of yelling at the boss.
6. Draw the short straw
Meaning: Be chosen to do something unpleasant.
In a sentence: I drew the short straw and had to clean the bathroom.
7. In short supply
Meaning: Not available in large amounts.
In a sentence: During the snowstorm, bread and eggs were in short supply.
8. Fall short (of expectations)
Meaning: To fail to meet expectations or goals.
In a sentence: The sequel fell short of the original movie’s greatness.
9. Short fuse
Meaning: A quick temper.
In a sentence: Be careful—she’s got a short fuse today.
10. Short end of the stick
Meaning: A bad or unfair outcome.
In a sentence: He got the short end of the stick in the divorce.
🧠 Figurative & Fun “Short” Sayings
11. Sell someone short
Meaning: Underestimate someone.
In a sentence: Don’t sell her short—she’s smarter than you think.
12. Come up short
Meaning: To fail slightly in achieving something.
In a sentence: They came up short in the playoffs.
13. Make short work of
Meaning: Finish quickly or easily.
In a sentence: She made short work of the math homework.
14. Short on brains
Meaning: Not very smart (rude or humorous).
In a sentence: He’s strong but kinda short on brains.
15. In short order
Meaning: Very quickly.
In a sentence: The room was cleaned up in short order.
16. Short shrift
Meaning: Quick and dismissive treatment.
In a sentence: The complaint was given short shrift by management.
17. Come up a bit short
Meaning: To not quite reach a goal or target.
In a sentence: We came up a bit short on fundraising, but it was close.
18. Short stack
Meaning: A smaller pile, often used in poker.
In a sentence: He’s playing with a short stack—gotta be careful.
😅 Humorous or Sarcastic “Short” Idioms
19. A few inches short of a foot
Meaning: Slightly crazy or not very smart.
In a sentence: That guy’s a few inches short of a foot, if you know what I mean.
20. Short a few marbles
Meaning: Acting strangely or not all there mentally.
In a sentence: He’s acting like he’s short a few marbles today.
⏳ Time-Related “Short” Idioms
21. In the short run
Meaning: For a brief period.
In a sentence: In the short run, this may help, but we need a long-term plan.
22. Short notice
Meaning: With little warning or time to prepare.
In a sentence: Sorry for the short notice, but can you cover my shift?
23. Short-term fix
Meaning: A solution that won’t last long.
In a sentence: This is just a short-term fix until we find something better.
🔥 Quick Temper or Emotion Idioms
24. Short-tempered
Meaning: Easily angered.
In a sentence: He’s short-tempered before his morning coffee.
25. A short memory
Meaning: Forgetting things quickly.
In a sentence: I must have a short memory—I keep losing my keys.
🧍♂️ Height-Related & Literal Idioms
26. Come up a bit short (on height or effort)
Meaning: Not tall enough or not quite enough.
In a sentence: He came up a bit short to dunk the ball.
27. Nothing short of amazing
Meaning: Truly impressive.
In a sentence: Her performance was nothing short of amazing.
28. A short leash
Meaning: Being closely monitored or restricted.
In a sentence: After missing deadlines, he’s on a short leash at work.
✍️ Bonus Idiom-Inspired Saying
29. Short story long
Meaning: A twist on “long story short,” often used jokingly.
In a sentence: Short story long—I missed my train, spilled my coffee, and got fired.
- Short-lived
Meaning: Not lasting long.
Their joy was short-lived after the test results. - Short on time
Meaning: In a rush.
We’re short on time—let’s get moving! - Short of breath
Meaning: Difficulty breathing.
After the run, I was short of breath. - Short circuit
Meaning: A sudden failure or interruption.
The argument caused him to mentally short circuit. - Short list
Meaning: A final, narrowed-down selection.
She made the short list for the scholarship. - Short order cook
Meaning: A cook who prepares food quickly, often in diners.
He’s a master short order cook at the local café. - A short stack of pancakes
Meaning: A literal or figurative “small stack” — sometimes used as a nickname or joke.
“Hey short stack, ready for breakfast?” - Short haul
Meaning: A short-distance trip or effort.
This is a short haul project, only two weeks long.
🌀 Funny, Slangy, or Rare
- Short a button
Meaning: Slightly odd or eccentric.
That guy’s short a button, but he’s harmless. - Short attention span
Meaning: Can’t focus for long.
Kids today have such short attention spans. - A few fries short of a Happy Meal
Meaning: Not very smart (funny insult).
She’s a few fries short of a Happy Meal, bless her. - Short work of a tall task
Meaning: Doing something hard very easily.
She made short work of cleaning the whole attic. - Short on patience
Meaning: Easily irritated.
I’m short on patience today—don’t test me. - Short haul vs. long haul
Meaning: Temporary vs. long-term commitment.
I’m in this for the long haul, not just the short one. - Short leash relationship
Meaning: Controlling dynamic.
Their relationship was on a short leash—literally. - Short of a miracle
Meaning: Extremely unlikely.
Short of a miracle, we’re not making that flight. - Short in the wallet
Meaning: Low on money (slang).
I’m a little short in the wallet right now. - Short stack poker
Meaning: Player with the least chips.
He went all in with a short stack and won!
📚 Bonus Literary or Formal Idioms
- In short
Meaning: To summarize.
In short, the plan didn’t work. - Shortfall
Meaning: A deficit or lack.
There was a shortfall in the budget. - Short order
Meaning: Quickly or with urgency.
Please finish this in short order. - Short of saying…
Meaning: Almost said something but not quite.
Short of saying “I quit,” she walked out the door. - Come up short on luck
Meaning: Unlucky or unfortunate.
He came up short on luck at the casino.