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Glite Dictionary
to short-change

to short-change

5 7.0
Give someone less money than they should get
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈʃɔrtˌʧeɪndʒ/
  • Informal
translation icon : estafar
  • He felt that the company short-changed him on his salary and demanded a raise.
  • get short-changed
  • feel short-changed

I often wonder if I'm short changing them in some ways.

Examples

  • If water goes to the highest valued users, less wealthy individuals and species may be short-changed.

    Academic text (2008)

  • It's not just brown kids who are getting short-changed; it's the future of the whole state.

    Blog text (10)

  • I often wonder if I'm short changing them in some ways.

    Evan Carmichael

  • But I think you short-changed me on the story.

    Chinatown (1974)

  • No one has ever short-changed me.

    Scrooge (1970)

  • Everyone is saying they're being swindled and short-changed.

    Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

  • I believe that as teachers, we short-change ourselves when we undervalue the interpersonal relationship between teacher and student.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Both sites are valuable commodities, and all viable alternatives must be explored so that the residents and taxpayers of Pacifica are not short-changed or overly impacted.

    Blog text (23)

  • The cashier accidentally short-changed me by a dollar when I paid for my groceries.

  • After checking my receipt, I realized the restaurant short-changed me on my change.

Synonyms

to con
vsto short-change
  • Informal
61 7.3

To trick someone into giving their money or things

refers narrowly to handing over less money than is rightly due
to defraud
vsto short-change
  • Formal
40 6.9

To illegally get money or things from someone by lying

is the everyday act of paying someone less than they deserve
to scam
vsto short-change
  • NSFW
20 3.9

To trick someone into giving money or their things

is limited to underpaying or giving too little rather than general deception
to swindle
vsto short-change
20 5.5

To cheat someone and take their money by lying

is the narrower practice of giving less money than owed rather than wide fraud
to short
vsto short-change
  • US
8 8.8

Give someone less money than they are owed

focuses on the same deliberate act of reducing a owed payment
to victimize
vsto short-change
  • US
7 7.2

Trick someone to take their money or things

is about shorting payments rather than general victimisation or loss
to diddle
vsto short-change
  • UK
6 8.9

To trick someone so you take their money or things

is specifically about reducing a payment amount rather than general trickery
to shortchange
vsto short-change
5 5.3

To give someone less money than they are owed or treat them unfairly

is the hyphenated expression for the same narrower act of underpaying
to underpay
vsto short-change
3 3.8

Pay someone less money than their work is worth

is about cheating by reducing an owed payment rather than broader fraud
to rook
vsto short-change
  • Archaic
3 9.9

To cheat someone and take their money or things

is narrower, meaning to hand over less money than is owed
to goldbrick
vsto short-change
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To cheat someone out of money or things

is specifically about reducing an owed amount rather than stealing valuables
to hornswoggle
vsto short-change
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To trick someone to take their money or things

is the more specific act of giving less money than someone should receive
to nobble
vsto short-change
  • NSFW
1 9.9

Get money or goods from someone by tricking them

is the specific act of giving too little money rather than general obtaining
to bunco
vsto short-change
  • Archaic
9.9

To cheat someone by lying to get their money

is the simpler act of giving too little money rather than complex schemes
to mulct
vsto short-change
  • NSFW
9.9

Cheat someone to get their money or things

is focused on lowering a payment rather than broader deprivation
to gip
vsto short-change
  • Offensive
9.9

To cheat someone by taking their money or things

is the neutral term for deliberately giving less money than owed

Antonyms

to compensate
102 4.2

To give money to someone for loss, injury or unpaid work

How Much

to defraud
  • Formal
40 6.9
to short-change
  • Informal
5 7.0
to underpay
3 3.8

Surface Forms

short-change infinitive
short-changed past
short-changed past participle
short-changing present participle
short-changes third person singular

Morphology

short-change = short + change (transparent) = short + change

The verb is a straightforward compound of 'short' (insufficient) + 'change' (money), meaning to give insufficient money, which is directly inferable by learners.

Etymology

The word short-change comes from a simple market picture: a seller gives you short ('not enough') change ('coins or money you get back'), so you leave with less money than you should. So to short-change someone is to cheat them or treat them unfairly by giving less than they deserve.