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Glite Dictionary
short of a length

short of a length

7.5
Not long enough to reach what is needed
  • idiom
translation icon : corto de longitud
  • The cable turned out to be short of a length for connecting both devices.

Examples

  • The bridge construction was short of a length by just a few meters.

  • The wire was short of a length, making it impossible to reach the outlet.

  • Her essay was short of a length and didn't meet the minimum word count.

  • The rope is short of a length needed for climbing.

  • Is this piece short of a length for the project?

  • Her essay was short of a length and didn't meet the required word count.

  • The bridge construction was short of a length by just a few meters from the original plan.

Synonyms

short
vsshort of a length
2.2

To a point less than a goal or target

is a longer phrase that stresses required measurement rather than general lack

Antonyms

sufficient
447 2.8

Enough to do what is needed

How Long

long
∞ 1.0
adequate
234 2.7
short of a length
7.5

Surface Forms

short of a length positive

Morphology

short + of + a + length

The meaning 'not reaching the required or intended length' is directly and compositionally derived from 'short' (insufficient) combined with 'length' (linear measurement); the litte words 'of a' merely link the adjective to the noun. This follows a regular English adjective + prepositional phrase pattern found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Short of a length comes from the simple image of measuring with a tape when something is a little short of the needed length, not reaching the mark. That's why it means 'not long enough'.