Short describes something with little length, height, or duration. A short person isn't very tall. A short pencil has been used so much there's not much left. A short story takes only a few minutes to read, while a short vacation might last just a weekend.

The word works differently depending on what you're measuring. Short hair barely covers your ears, while long hair flows down your back. A short wait means you won't be standing in line very long. A short answer gives just the basic facts without extra details.

Something can also be cut short, meaning it ends sooner than expected. If rain cuts short your baseball game, you have to stop playing early. When you're short on time, you don't have enough time to finish everything you wanted to do.

People use short in several idiomatic expressions. In short means “to sum it up briefly.” If someone has a short temper, they get angry quickly. Short and sweet describes something brief but good, like a principal's announcement that just says “early dismissal today!” Being short with someone means answering them curtly or impatiently, perhaps because you're frustrated.

The opposite of short is long, though for height specifically, we usually say tall instead. A giraffe is tall, not long, even though its neck is long.