Shortest: meaning, definitions and examples
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shortest
[ ˈʃɔːrtəst ]
comparative form
Shortest is the comparative form of short, used to describe something that has less length or duration than another thing, or that is the least long in a group. It is often used to compare height, length, or time.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- He is the shortest player on the team.
- This is the shortest route to the destination.
- She is known for her shortest stories.
- The shortest day of the year is around December 21.
Translations
Translations of the word "shortest" in other languages:
🇵🇹 mais curto
- o mais curto
- mais breve
🇮🇳 सबसे छोटा
- छोटा
- संक्षिप्त
🇩🇪 am kürzesten
- kurz
- kurzeste
🇮🇩 terpendek
🇺🇦 найкоротший
- короткий
- серед найкоротших
🇵🇱 najkrótszy
- najkrótsza
- krótki
🇯🇵 最短の
- 短い
- 最も短い
🇫🇷 le plus court
- court
- le plus bref
🇪🇸 el más corto
- corto
- más breve
🇹🇷 en kısa
- kısa
- en kısa olan
🇰🇷 가장 짧은
- 짧은
- 최단
🇸🇦 الأقصر
- قصير
- الأقصر من
🇨🇿 nejkratší
- krátký
- nejmenší
🇸🇰 najkratší
- krátky
- najmenší
🇨🇳 最短的
- 短
- 最短
🇸🇮 najkrajši
- krajši
- najkrajša
🇮🇸 styst
- stuttur
- syst
🇰🇿 ең қысқа
- қысқа
- ең қысқа болып
🇬🇪 მხოლოდ მოკლე
- მოკლე
- ყველაზე მოკლე
🇦🇿 ən qısa
- qısa
- ən qısa olan
🇲🇽 el más corto
- corto
- más breve
Etymology
The word 'short' originates from the Old English 'sceort', meaning 'short or brief', which can be traced back to Proto-Germanic '*skurta-', meaning 'to cut off'. The formation of the comparative and superlative in English often involves the addition of -er and -est, respectively, hence 'short' becomes 'shorter' and 'shortest'. The transition of the term through various linguistic stages reflects a common practice in the evolution of English vocabulary, where base adjectives are modified to express different degrees of relativity. The usage of 'shortest' has gained prominence in various contexts, encompassing physical dimensions, time intervals, and even metaphorical references, signifying limited extent or quickness.
Word Frequency Rank
Position #9,363 indicates this is an advanced-level word. While not essential for basic communication, it will enhance your ability to understand and create more nuanced content.
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