shortness

English

Etymology

From Middle English schortnesse, from Old English sċortness, sċeortnyss, equivalent to short +‎ -ness.

Noun

shortness (countable and uncountable, plural shortnesses)

1. (uncountable) The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief.

   the shortness of a stubby pencil

   the patient's shortness of breath

   • 1959 March, “Talking of Trains: Fewer meals on wheels?”, in Trains Illustrated, page 121:

     But on the whole the Southern Region, in view of the relative shortness of so many of its journeys, is to be commended for its provision of refreshment facilities; [...].

2. (countable) The result or product of being short.
3. (uncountable) The property of being short or terse.

   I was chastened by the shortness of her reply.

Derived terms

• shortness of breath

Translations

The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief

• Arabic: قِصَر (ar) m (qiṣar)
• Azerbaijani: qısalıq
• Danish: korthed c
• Esperanto: malalteco
• Estonian: lühidus (et), vähesus
• Finnish: lyhyys (fi), täpäryys (fi)
• French: exiguïté (fr) f
• Galician: curtidade (gl) f
• German: Kürze (de) f
• Greek:

  Ancient: βραχύτης f (brakhútēs)

• Greenlandic: naassuseq
• Irish: giorracht f, giorra f
• Korean: 짧음 (ko) (jjalbeum)
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: کورتی (kurtî)

• Persian: کوتاهی (fa) (kutâhi)
• Russian: кра́ткость (ru) f (krátkostʹ)
• Swedish: korthet (sv)
• Turkish: kısalık (tr)
• Volapük: bref (vo)