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• short circuit
  short circuit

  noun

  an abnormal, usually unintentional condition of relatively low resistance between two points of different potential in a circuit, usually resulting in a flow of excess current.
• short-circuit
  short-circuit

short circuit

¹ American  

noun

Electricity.

1. Also called short. an abnormal, usually unintentional condition of relatively low resistance between two points of different potential in a circuit, usually resulting in a flow of excess current.

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short-circuit ² American  

[shawrt-sur-kit] / ˌʃɔrtˈsɜr kɪt /

verb (used with object)

• short-circuits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• short-circuited,
  past participle,  past
• short-circuiting
  present participle

1. Electricity.

   1. to make (an appliance, switch, etc.) inoperable by establishing a short circuit in.

   2. to carry (a current) as a short circuit.

2. to bypass, impede, hinder, or frustrate.

   Bad weather short-circuited my vacation plans.

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verb (used without object)

• short-circuits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• short-circuited,
  past participle,  past
• short-circuiting
  present participle

1. Electricity. to form a short circuit or become inoperable due to a short circuit.

short circuit British  

noun

1. a faulty or accidental connection between two points of different potential in an electric circuit, bypassing the load and establishing a path of low resistance through which an excessive current can flow. It can cause damage to the components if the circuit is not protected by a fuse

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verb

1. to develop or cause to develop a short circuit

2. (tr) to bypass (a procedure, regulation, etc)

3. (tr) to hinder or frustrate (plans, etc)

short circuit Scientific  

/ shôrt /

1. An electrical path in a circuit that causes most of the current to flow around or away from some other path in the circuit. Accidental short circuits, especially between the high and low voltages of a power supply, can cause very strong current to flow, possibly damaging or overheating the circuit.

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short circuit Cultural  

1. An electrical circuit in which a path of very low resistance has been opened, usually accidentally. When the resistance drops, the electric current (see also current) in the circuit becomes very high and can cause damage to the circuit and start fires.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• short-circuiting
  present
• short-circuited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• short-circuit
  simple
• short-circuits
  simple
• have short-circuited
  perfect
• has short-circuited
  perfect
• am short-circuiting
  progressive
• are short-circuiting
  progressive
• is short-circuiting
  progressive
• have been short-circuiting
  perfect progressive
• has been short-circuiting
  perfect progressive

Past

• short-circuited
  simple
• had short-circuited
  perfect
• was short-circuiting
  progressive
• were short-circuiting
  progressive
• had been short-circuiting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will short-circuit
  simple
• will have short-circuited
  perfect
• will be short-circuiting
  progressive
• will have been short-circuiting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of short circuit¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Origin of short-circuit²

First recorded in 1870–75

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

short circuit short-circuit short-circuits short-circuited short-circuiting

Choosing an apprenticeship is a short circuit around an increasingly crowded university-educated job market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Adams pointed to social media platforms like X as evidence that machines “can easily short circuit our sense of human accountability and responsibility.”

From Salon ● Mar. 30, 2026

These thread like growths, known as filaments, would keep extending until they created a short circuit and destroyed the pixel.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 4, 2026

I could still hear the words, feel the numbness settle in, like a short circuit in my brain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2025

In the midst of one prayer, smoke issued from the lectern and I thought we had gone too far but it turned out to be a short circuit.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

Ruchir Sharma, chair of Rockerfeller International, said in a recent op-ed in the Financial Times that he was worried higher borrowing costs might short-circuit the AI boom.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

This can puncture the batteries that cause them to short-circuit, overheat and potentially ignite surrounding materials.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

His 8-foot wingspan and uncanny quickness let him short-circuit opposing offenses all by himself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026

That caused a short-circuit and "arcing" - electric sparks like those in a spark plug - which resulted in a "catastrophic failure".

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2025

Sure enough, Bush interpreted Lawrence’s visit as an attempt to short-circuit his own prerogatives of command.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

“Where technology short-circuits the productive struggle of learning, it will undercut students’ development.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

Beyond that, the decision short-circuits the careful development of the law of PLCAA.

From Slate ● Jun. 6, 2025

Some scooters began catching fire which, auto experts say, was likely due to short-circuits or faulty battery management system.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2025

Hamlin has had so many memorable, boundary-pushing roles in film and television that the brain short-circuits trying to sort through all of his credits at once.

From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2025

This short-circuits the cell, of course, and new plates must be installed, and the jars washed out thoroughly.

From The Automobile Storage Battery Its Care And Repair by Otto A. Witte

The squeeze on the Strait of Hormuz and the Ukraine war have short-circuited those trade flows.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

That process normally requires an investigation, but can be short-circuited where there are serious harms, risks to children, and histories of non-compliance.

From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026

But I was like this person who was short-circuited and I didn’t know how to fix myself.”

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026

"Maybe it's the failure of Oslo that gave rise to the rather unconventional approach that Trump has taken, where he has short-circuited any sort of process and simply pressured and cajoled," Yacoubian said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025

The Lotus Casino seemed to have short-circuited my memory.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

Apple shares had their worst day in more than a year Thursday after it announced big price increases, short-circuiting a tech rally sparked by memory maker Micron’s solid results.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

She’s the film’s sole draw, but Thatcher's expertise can’t save it from short-circuiting in the end.

From Salon ● Jan. 31, 2025

For the finale, Dan Caten, dressed for the evening in a sheer black top and trousers, zapped into Dean Caten, who emerged after some short-circuiting in drag, to the delight of the fashion crowd.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 12, 2024

Marsha Hunt appeared in more than 50 films before being accused of communist sympathies, short-circuiting her career.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2024

That odd, crackling noise you hear is the sound of a sentence short-circuiting!

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

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