What does shortsighted mean?
Shortsighted describes a person whose vision is focused imperfectly on nearby things and, more commonly in figurative use, someone or something that fails to consider the future. A shortsighted decision may bring immediate benefits, but its drawbacks appear only later, when they are harder to correct. The word is often interchangeable with myopic when discussing poor long-term judgement, although myopic can carry a more critical tone. In its literal visual sense, shortsighted contrasts with far-sighted or long-sighted, which indicate an ability to see distant objects clearly. Figuratively, the opposite is farsighted: someone who anticipates future consequences and acts with perspective. Shortsighted is especially common in discussion of economics, politics, business, education, and public policy, where temporary convenience or savings are weighed against long-term costs.
adjectiveHaving difficulty seeing objects that are close or nearby. figuratively, lacking foresight or awareness of the possible long-term consequences of one's actions or decisions.
- Having difficulty seeing nearby objects clearly.
- Failing to consider the likely long-term consequences of one's actions or decisions.
"The company pursued a shortsighted strategy that improved short-term profits but damaged its reputation."
"She became shortsighted in her old age and needed stronger reading glasses."
"Cutting staff training to save money was a shortsighted decision that the company later regretted."
Shortsighted thinking may see the present clearly while losing sight of tomorrow.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shortsighted come from?
Shortsighted is a compound of short and sighted. Short comes from Old English sceort, meaning 'brief' or 'not long in time or extent', while sighted is derived from sight, whose deeper roots also appear in words such as eyesight and insight. The modern compound developed from the literal sense of having limited vision before being extended figuratively to describe a lack of foresight.
Related word forms
How shortsighted is actually used
The figurative sense is widely used in British and US English. In careful British spelling, the compound is often hyphenated as short-sighted; American usage commonly favors the unhyphenated form shortsighted.
Easily confused with shortsighted
Nearsighted most often describes difficulty seeing distant objects, whereas shortsighted can describe poor near vision and, figuratively, a lack of foresight.
Far-sighted describes clear vision at a distance, especially when close objects are difficult to see, and can also mean showing sound long-term judgement.