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Glite Dictionary
shortish

shortish

1 3.1
A little less long than usual in length or time
  • adjective
  • /ˈʃɔːrtɪʃ/
translation icon : bajo
  • Perhaps fourteen, shortish, with a smooth oval face, heavy shiny lips, large black eyes, and a single long pigtail, she was dark and exceptionally shapely.
  • a shortish man

Examples

  • The shortish puppy struggled to keep up with its larger siblings during playtime.

  • He was... a little shortish.

    Happiness (1998)

  • The outfit, shortish shorts and a starched dress shirt, looked spiffy but very gay.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Beside him sits a slightly older, very poised girl with shortish, well-coiffured black hair, dark eyes, and red lips.

    Academic text (2011)

  • He wore a shortish jacket that made him feel comfortable on the chilly evening.

  • Despite being shortish, she confidently participated in all the basketball games.

Synonyms

brief
vsshortish
587 2.0

Using few words or lasting only a short time

is milder, meaning only somewhat limited in length or duration
short-term
vsshortish
225 3.3

Lasting only for a little time

is broader, applying to length as well as duration rather than only time
short-lived
vsshortish
49 3.9

Lasting only for a short time

is milder, indicating only somewhat limited length or duration
smallish
vsshortish
10 2.0

A little smaller than usual

is about limited length or duration rather than physical modest size
cutty
vsshortish
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Short in size or lasting only a little time

is the neutral, mild descriptor for limited length or duration

Antonyms

tallish
  • Informal
1 3.0

Fairly tall but not very tall

How Short

tiny
∞ 1.0
short
∞ 1.0
shortish
1 3.1
long
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

shortish positive
shorter comparative
shortest superlative

Morphology

shortish = short (transparent) = short + ish

The meaning 'somewhat short' is directly and predictably formed from 'short' + the common English suffix '-ish' meaning 'somewhat'.

Etymology

Shortish combines the common word short with the ending -ish, which means 'a little' or 'somewhat'. So shortish means 'fairly short' or 'a little short', helping you remember it is not very short but a bit short.