adverb
-
in a short time; soon
-
in a few words; briefly
-
in a curt or rude manner
Etymology
Origin of shortly
First recorded before 900; Middle English schortly, Old English scortlīce; see short, -ly
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.
His job-approval rating was above 50% shortly after his inauguration in January 2025.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
They werebeing transported to a nearby hospital when the collision happened shortly before 2 p.m. near the 300 block of South Boyle Avenue.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
News that drug candidate del-desiran missed the target of a late-stage study in rare neuromuscular disorder known as myotonic dystrophy type 1 came shortly after cardiovascular drug pelacarsen failed another trial.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
One was left in the Hall Lane area shortly after 03:05 BST on Tuesday.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
But shortly before my mom had died, Fred had come over for dinner one night.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
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.
