short shrift
noun
Did you know?
We’ve got a confession to make, but we’ll keep it brief: while it’s technically possible to make “long shrift” of something, you’re unlikely to find long shrift in our (virtual or actual) pages anytime soon. Short shrift, on the other hand, has been keeping it real—real terse, that is—for centuries. The earliest known use of the phrase comes from William Shakespeare’s play Richard III, in which Lord Hastings, who has been condemned by King Richard to be beheaded, is told by Sir Richard Ratcliffe to “Make a short shrift” as the king “longs to see your head.” Although now archaic, the noun shrift was understood in Shakespeare’s time to refer to the confession or absolution of sins, so “make a short shrift” meant, quite literally, “keep your confession short.” However, since at least the 19th century the phrase has been used figuratively to refer to a small or inadequate amount of time or attention given to something.
Examples of short shrift in a Sentence
Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2025
But focusing on Ukraine gives short shrift to the many political, economic, and strategic interests that Putin and Xi share—chief among them a mutual antipathy toward the United States.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025
And, do not give short shrift to sleep regularity, Topol advised.
—Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 28 May 2025
The #MeToo movement, which has been given short shrift at festivals past — there was not a peep from the festival when Johnny Depp, who had faced accusations of domestic violence, walked the red carpet in 2023 for the opening night film Jeanne du Barry — is front and center in Cannes this year.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for short shrift
Cite this Entry
“Short shrift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20shrift. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share