The English language has a remarkable way of capturing the essence of physical traits through idioms, and when it comes to describing things that are short—whether it’s people, objects, or spans of time—there’s no shortage of clever expressions.
In this post, we’ll explore idioms for “short” that add character and flair to the way we describe brevity, stature, or momentary events. Let’s shrink down the language together and see how English gets straight to the point with these imaginative phrases.
Idioms for Short
1. Short and Sweet
Meaning: Brief but pleasant or effective.
In a Sentence: Her acceptance speech was short and sweet, lasting barely a minute but leaving everyone with a warm, lasting impression.
2. In Short Order
Meaning: Quickly or without delay.
In a Sentence: The waiter brought out our meals in short order, impressing us with the kitchen’s efficiency on such a busy night.
3. A Short Fuse
Meaning: Easily angered or quick-tempered.
In a Sentence: Be careful when you talk to him about delays—he’s got a short fuse and tends to blow up without warning.
4. A Short Straw
Meaning: An unlucky choice or situation.
In a Sentence: When it came time to clean the garage, I drew the short straw and spent the whole afternoon covered in dust and cobwebs.
5. A Short Trip
Meaning: A brief or quick journey.
In a Sentence: We took a short trip to the countryside over the weekend, escaping the city’s noise just long enough to recharge.
6. A Short Stack
Meaning: A small amount, especially of pancakes or money.
In a Sentence: I ordered the short stack, but those fluffy pancakes were so rich and filling, it was just the right amount.
7. Short on Time
Meaning: Not having enough time.
In a Sentence: I’m a bit short on time today, so I’ll need to reschedule our meeting for later this week.
8. Short on Patience
Meaning: Easily irritated or lacking tolerance.
In a Sentence: After waiting in line for over an hour, I was getting short on patience and ready to leave the store altogether.
9. A Day Late and a Dollar Short
Meaning: Too late and not enough resources.
In a Sentence: He finally brought the materials for the project, but it was a day late and a dollar short—just when we had already wrapped it up.
10. Cut Short
Meaning: Interrupted before completion.
In a Sentence: The power outage cut our movie night short, leaving us stuck at a cliffhanger we didn’t see coming.
11. Make Short Work Of
Meaning: To complete something quickly.
In a Sentence: With the new lawn mower, I made short work of the overgrown grass in the backyard.
12. Sell Short
Meaning: To underestimate or undervalue something or someone.
In a Sentence: Don’t sell yourself short—your ideas have the potential to make a real difference in the company.
13. Come Up Short
Meaning: To fail to meet expectations or goals.
In a Sentence: Despite their best efforts in the final game, the team came up short and missed the championship by just a few points.
14. Short of Breath
Meaning: Difficulty breathing.
In a Sentence: After running to catch the last bus, I was completely short of breath and could barely speak.
15. Short on Cash
Meaning: Having little money.
In a Sentence: I’d love to join you for dinner, but I’m a bit short on cash until payday rolls around.
16. A Short Break
Meaning: A brief pause or rest.
In a Sentence: Let’s take a short break before we continue brainstorming—my brain needs a quick recharge.
17. A Short Leash
Meaning: Close control or limited freedom.
In a Sentence: The intern was kept on a short leash, with her supervisor checking in every fifteen minutes.
18. Nothing Short Of
Meaning: Completely or exactly (used for emphasis).
In a Sentence: Her performance was nothing short of magical, leaving the entire audience in stunned silence.
19. A Short Memory
Meaning: Easily forgetting things.
In a Sentence: He has a short memory for arguments, which is great because he never holds a grudge for long.
20. A Short Life
Meaning: Lasting for a brief time.
In a Sentence: The flowers had a short life, blooming for only a few days before withering away in the summer heat.
21. A Short Temper
Meaning: Easily angered.
In a Sentence: His short temper often gets him into trouble, especially during high-pressure meetings.
22. A Short Attention Span
Meaning: Difficulty focusing for a long time.
In a Sentence: With his short attention span, he jumped between hobbies like a bee flitting from flower to flower.
23. Short-Handed
Meaning: Not having enough people to do a task.
In a Sentence: We were short-handed at the café this morning, so I had to juggle both the register and the espresso machine.
24. In Short Supply
Meaning: Scarce or rare.
In a Sentence: During the snowstorm, bread and milk were in short supply at the local grocery stores.
25. A Short Distance
Meaning: A small span or space.
In a Sentence: We parked just a short distance from the venue, making it easy to get there even in heels.
26. A Short Window
Meaning: A brief opportunity or time frame.
In a Sentence: We only have a short window to submit the application, so let’s not waste any time.
27. Short-Changed
Meaning: Treated unfairly or given less than expected.
In a Sentence: I felt short-changed when I received half the pay I was promised for the freelance project.
28. Short of a Miracle
Meaning: Almost impossible.
In a Sentence: It would take nothing short of a miracle for us to finish the renovation before the wedding.
29. Short and Snappy
Meaning: Brief but catchy or effective.
In a Sentence: Keep your presentation short and snappy to hold everyone’s attention from start to finish.
30. Short Circuit
Meaning: A failure or disruption, often sudden.
In a Sentence: Our weekend plans short-circuited when the rain started pouring nonstop.
31. Short of the Mark
Meaning: Not quite good enough or accurate.
In a Sentence: His proposal was creative, but it fell just short of the mark needed to impress the board.
32. Short Sighted
Meaning: Lacking long-term planning or foresight.
In a Sentence: Canceling the training program was a short-sighted decision that hurt employee morale in the long run.
33. Short-Lived
Meaning: Not lasting very long.
In a Sentence: Their excitement over the new policy was short-lived once the challenges started pouring in.
34. Fall Short
Meaning: To fail to reach a goal or standard.
In a Sentence: Although he worked hard on the campaign, it fell short of convincing the voters.
35. Short on Luck
Meaning: Experiencing a streak of bad fortune.
In a Sentence: Lately, I’ve been short on luck—missed the bus, lost my keys, and spilled coffee on my shirt all in one morning.
36. In the Short Term
Meaning: In the near future or temporarily.
In a Sentence: In the short term, this strategy might boost sales, but it’s not a sustainable solution.
37. Come Up a Bit Short
Meaning: To slightly miss the goal.
In a Sentence: His final score came up a bit short, just three points shy of qualifying for the next round.
38. Make a Short Story Long
Meaning: To over-explain something that’s simple.
In a Sentence: He has a habit of making a short story long, dragging out the smallest details for dramatic effect.
39. A Short Run
Meaning: A limited duration.
In a Sentence: The play had a short run, wrapping up after just two weeks due to scheduling conflicts.
40. Short of Options
Meaning: Having few choices left.
In a Sentence: With all the flights canceled and no rental cars available, we were short of options and had to wait it out.
Conclusion
Whether it’s about time, stature, patience, or money—idioms for “short” offer a compact but powerful way to express limitations, brevity, and quickness in daily conversation. From drawing the short straw to coming up short on cash, these idioms help us add personality and precision to our words.
Let these 40 expressions be your shortcut to sounding sharp, witty, and idiomatically fluent in any situation.