shortcoming
Americannoun
-
shortcomings
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of shortcoming
Explanation
The flaw in something is its shortcoming — your car's only shortcoming might be its lack of a sunroof, for example. Use the noun shortcoming when you talk about the way something — or someone — comes up short. Your boss's shortcoming could be her high expectations, and your job's shortcomings might be having to deal with your boss and not earning much money. The root of shortcoming is the phrase "to come short," which was used starting in the 1600's to mean "to be inadequate."
Vocabulary lists containing shortcoming
This Week In Words: October 19–25, 2019
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The War That Saved My Life
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The Wrong Way Home
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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.
See Examples For:
A reporting system that was originally designed to address intentional physical abuse now encourages people to report any perceived shortcoming in the care of children.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
But spokesman Pitambar Ghimire admitted that "our only shortcoming is proper implementation".
From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026
Mr. Slaughter’s reliance on the Sewards’ correspondence over vigorous narrative is both the book’s strength and its shortcoming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026
Perhaps the most important shortcoming was the structure of its premium subsidies, which were designed to make ACA plans affordable for middle- and low-income households.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2025
But here his crucial intellectual shortcoming came to the fore: he was not a particularly gifted experimentalist.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Mr. Doherty, a film historian and professor of American studies at Brandeis University, points out that there are many shortcomings in “Hitler’s Reign of Terror.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Still, if you want perspective on sports and its role in America, the series has plenty to offer despite its shortcomings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The CPS has apologised for "shortcomings" in its attempts to have Levy remanded in custody.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
There are two major shortcomings that keep it from carrying much more weight than a flawed first draft by a junior fellow at a minor think tank would.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
It was as if all had made an agreement not to bring up the shortcomings of their new home.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
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.
