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Glite Dictionary
on short notice

on short notice

15 3.7
With very little time to prepare
  • idiom
translation icon : con poca antelación
  • Thanks for getting here on short notice.
  • make this work on short notice

Examples

  • Actually, I had to leave my apartment this morning on short notice.

    Loose Cannons (1990)

  • Playing a defense like that on short notice is tough.

    Blog text (26)

  • Thanks for, uh, seeing me on short notice.

    Heaven Is for Real (2014)

  • I am so glad you could make it on short notice.

    This Means War (2012)

  • Thank you for coming on short notice.

    Northfork (2003)

  • "Well, I did the best I could on short notice," his secretary said.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • It was the best that we could do on short notice.

    Mr. Right (2016)

  • Thanks for convening on short notice.

    Oppenheimer (2023)

  • It's the best we could do on short notice, but don't worry.

    Battle Hymn (1957)

  • I appreciate you coming to the meeting on short notice.

Synonyms

last minute
vson short notice
240 1.9

The latest time before something must happen

leaves very little time to prepare or arrange
last-minute
vson short notice
103 3.7

Happening just before a deadline or event

has very little time to prepare or arrange
at the last minute
vson short notice
101 2.5

Happening just before the last possible moment to act

gives very little time to prepare or decide
at the eleventh hour
vson short notice
3 4.5

The last moment before a deadline when it is almost too late

stresses lack of preparation time rather than deadline timing

Antonyms

in advance
278 1.8

Before something happens or someone needs it

How Much Notice

beforehand
100 2.7
on short notice
15 3.7
zero hour
4 5.1

Surface Forms

on short notice positive

Morphology

on + short + notice

The meaning 'with very little time to prepare' is directly derivable from 'short' (small/insufficient) modifying 'notice' (advance warning/announcement), with 'on' marking the temporal circumstance. This adjective+noun composition to mean 'little warning' is cross-linguistically common and follows normal English patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would likely infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

On short notice may come from the idea of receiving a written short notice only a little time before an event. Imagine getting a note about a meeting minutes before it starts and having no time to prepare. So, on short notice means 'with very little time to prepare'.