Shorts
/ʃɔːrts/
Definitions
2 meaningsShort trousers that end above the knee.
/ʃɔːrts/
Garments for the lower body
She packed several pairs of shorts for her vacation.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're going to the park on a hot day. You might wear shorts! They're like pants, but they stop before your knees.
👶 For kids: Shorts are like pants, but they don't go all the way down to your feet! They're great for playing outside.
More Examples
He prefers wearing shorts in the summer.
I need to buy a new pair of shorts for the gym.
How It's Used
"He wore a pair of denim shorts to the beach."
"The basketball team was wearing their team shorts."
(Archaic) To be lacking in staff or resources.
/ʃɔːrts/
To be short-handed or understaffed (archaic)
The factory was shorted workers due to the flu epidemic.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, a team has too few people. In older English, you could say the team was 'shorted'.
👶 For kids: This is an old way to say you don't have enough people to do something.
More Examples
The shop was shorted on supplies after the storm.
The company was shorted skilled labor, which slowed the project.
How It's Used
"The company was shorted staff during the busy season."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
come up short
To fail to achieve the desired outcome.
"The team came up short in the championship game."
short and sweet
Concise and pleasant.
"The speech was short and sweet."
From Old English *sceort*, short, brief, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skurtaz.
The term 'shorts' became increasingly popular in the 20th century for casual wear and sportswear.
Memory tip
Think of a quick cut – shorts are the short version of trousers.
Word Origin
"short, brief"