What does shortness mean?
Shortness is a formal noun meaning the condition of being brief or limited in length, duration, or extent. It often appears when discussing the brevity of a speech, article, performance, or period of time: an editor may reduce the shortness of a report, or a speaker may praise the shortness of an introduction. The word can also form part of the established medical expression shortness of breath, which means difficult or rapid breathing. In general use, shortness is less neutral than the adjective short because it emphasizes the quality or condition of being short rather than simply describing something. It is suitable for formal writing, discussion, and analysis, though everyday speech more often uses words such as brevity or concision. Overall, shortness is a useful term whenever brevity, duration, or respiratory difficulty needs to be treated precisely.
nounThe quality or condition of being short in length, duration, or extent. It can also refer to the condition of having difficulty breathing, as in shortness of breath.
- The quality of being short in duration, length, or extent.
- Briefness or concision, especially in speech or writing.
- A feeling of difficult or inadequate breathing, especially in the expression shortness of breath.
"The shortness of the presentation made it easy to follow."
"The film's shortness was one of its greatest strengths."
"After climbing the stairs, she was experiencing shortness of breath."
Rare in modern usage; plural forms are usually avoided in general English.
"The shortnesses of the two essays were compared by the editor."
Shortness can describe everything from a concise speech to a sudden lack of breath, making it a compact word with surprisingly broad reach.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shortness come from?
The word is formed from the adjective short and the suffix -ness, a productive English suffix used to create nouns denoting a state or quality. The underlying adjective short comes from Old English scort, meaning brief or not long. Related forms such as shorten and shortening developed from the same root, while the modern sense associated with breathing developed through the established phrase shortness of breath.
How shortness is actually used
In most contexts, shortness is formal and descriptive. The expression shortness of breath is idiomatic and refers to difficulty breathing rather than briefness.
Easily confused with shortness
Brevity usually emphasizes brevity in speech or writing, whereas shortness can apply more broadly to length, duration, distance, or time.