vertically challenged
1
8.2
- adjective
- /ˈvɜrtɪkli ˈtʃælɪndʒd/
- Informal
:
de baja estatura
- Many actors who are vertically challenged successfully portray characters of all heights in movies.
Examples
-
Randy Briggs was vertically challenged.
Fiction book (2000) -
I'm vertically challenged.
-
She often jokes about being vertically challenged, especially when trying to reach items on the top shelf.
-
Despite being vertically challenged, he excelled at high jump and proved that height doesn't determine athletic ability.
Synonyms
1
9.1
Very small and young, especially a child
Antonyms
How Tall
Surface Forms
Morphology
vertically + challenged
The phrase literally combines 'vertically' (relating to vertical dimension/height) and 'challenged' (having difficulty), so a learner who knows both words can plausibly infer 'having difficulty with height' → being short. However, the expression is a humorous/euphemistic coinage that relies on pragmatic inference and cultural use of 'challenged' as a polite euphemism, so the intended meaning is not fully literal or entirely predictable for an average B1 learner.
Etymology
Vertically challenged is a joking way to say someone is 'short in height'. It uses vertically, meaning 'up and down', and challenged, meaning 'having difficulty', so you can picture someone who has trouble reaching high, which is why it means 'short in height'.