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Glite Dictionary
💵 To give too little 💵 Less money given ⚖️ Unfair treatment
to shortchange

to shortchange

5 5.3
To give someone less money than they are owed or treat them unfairly
  • verb
  • /ˈʃɔrtˌʧeɪndʒ/
translation icon : menospreciar
  • To fail to intervene is to shortchange them seriously by not challenging them to fulfill their academic potential.

And then one studio tries to shortchange us.

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Examples

  • If you shortchange your employees, they may feel undervalued and unmotivated.

  • On the one hand, the emphasis on venues and career preparation shortchanges attention to larger questions.

    Academic text (2004)

  • But we will shortchange our students greatly if "getting a job" is all we prepare them for.

    Academic text (2016)

  • The guy in front of me was trying to shortchange the clerk.

    Blog text (16)

  • Don't shortchange yourself on your abilities or your fees.

    Academic text (2011)

  • We don't mean to, but they get in the way and we shortchange our regulars.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Such weaknesses are closely linked to an education system that effectively shortchanges Chinese students.

    Blog text (28)

  • A serious consequence of disregarding human-companion animal relationships is that it shortchanges our ability to help our clients.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Anytime you feel like you're being shortchanged, You're you're, you're being, you know, given less than you deserve, speak up.

    Stephan Speaks

  • The new policy could shortchange students by cutting important resources and support.

Synonyms

to short
vsto shortchange
  • US
8 8.8

Give someone less money than they are owed

can happen without intent and includes unfair treatment not only money
to short-change
vsto shortchange
  • Informal
5 7.0

Give someone less money than they should get

covers unfair treatment as well as money owed
to underpay
vsto shortchange
3 3.8

Pay someone less money than their work is worth

is broader and applies to unfair money or treatment beyond wages

How Unfair

to rob
696 1.2
to cheat
474 1.2
to shortchange
5 5.3
to underpay
3 3.8
to pay
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

shortchange infinitive
shortchanged past
shortchanged past participle
shortchanging present participle
shortchanges third person singular

Morphology

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

The word is built from the clear phrase 'short change', but the modern sense extends figuratively from underpaying someone to treating them unfairly.

Etymology

To shortchange someone is to 'give less' than they should get; the verb comes from the idea of giving 'not enough' change at the till and now also means treating someone unfairly or denying them what they deserve.