short-winded
Americanadjective
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short of breath; liable to difficulty in breathing.
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brief or concise; to the point, as in speech or writing.
adjective
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tending to run out of breath, esp after exertion
-
(of speech or writing) terse or abrupt
Etymology
Origin of short-winded
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Short-handed and short-winded, the Lakers again got beaten on the glass and again got beaten in transition, multiple possessions ending with James failing to cross midcourt as he grabbed at oxygen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 30, 2023
“If they cough so much they can’t catch their breath, or they’re so short-winded they can’t get a whole sentence out, that’s something that needs to be evaluated in person,” he said.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 23, 2021
The crowd certainly liked Michelle Obama, whom an unusually short-winded Bill Clinton accurately introduced as “the finest surrogate, supporter that any candidate has ever had.”
From Slate ● Nov. 8, 2016
“I forgot my keys at home,” she pants, irritable and short-winded.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2015
While prairie jackrabbits are capable of amazing bursts of speed—up to and over fifty miles an hour—they are relatively short-winded.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
