sawed-off
1
7.8
- adjective
- /ˈsɔːdˌɔf/
- Offensive
- "What's all this about?" says Judith, a tall woman with a sawed-off shotgun and a clipboard.
- sawed-off runt
- sawed-off little
Examples
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He is a sawed-off kid, but he has a big personality that makes everyone laugh.
-
We don't need some sawed-off Scotsman poopin' drives out 40 yards in Jones and Hagen's way.
-
Well, because, I'm a sawed-off sportsman.
-
All I see is his man Jelly and some sawed-off little prick nobody knows.
Fiction book (1999) -
You sawed-off little runt!
-
Despite being sawed-off, she plays basketball with determination and skill.
-
The sawed-off teacher often relates to her students because she understands their struggles.
Synonyms
7
4.2
Very small, often used for a person, animal, or thing that is lively
1
7.8
Smaller and weaker than others of the same kind
1
4.4
Very small in height, usually used for a person or animal
1
9.9
Short in size or lasting only a little time
A person who is very short and stocky
Antonyms
How Short
Surface Forms
Morphology
sawed-off = saw off (semi-transparent) = saw + off + ed
Morphologically derived from 'saw off' + '-ed', but the sense 'very short' is a metaphorical extension from 'cut short' rather than a literal description.
Etymology
Sawed-off uses the same image of something being 'cut off' to make it much shorter. A helpful way to remember its informal meaning 'very short' is to imagine a long object made short by sawing, which is why people sometimes call a short person 'sawed-off'.