short-handed

American  

[shawrt-han-did] / ˈʃɔrtˈhæn dɪd /

adjective

1. not having the usual or necessary number of workers, helpers, etc.

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short-handed British  

adjective

1. lacking the usual or necessary number of assistants, workers, etc

2. sport with less than the full complement of players

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Other Word Forms

• short-handedness noun

Etymology

Origin of short-handed

First recorded in 1615–25

Explanation

Being short-handed means not having the necessary number of people to help with something. If six friends promise to supervise your brother's birthday party with you but only two show up, you'll be seriously short-handed! Short-handed was first used in the 17th century to refer to a workplace that has an insufficient number of "hands," or workers. You can use it whenever you're in a situation where fewer people than normal show up or help out: "We were short-handed at the restaurant last night so I had to cook the burgers, deliver them to customers, and help wash the dishes!"

Example Sentences

Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes, so forcing a team to play short-handed could compel remaining employees to find productivity hacks faster than they otherwise would have.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Golden State's Pat Spencer scored a career-high 20 points and Gui Santos chipped in 18 to help the short-handed Warriors rally from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 101-97 victory over the Suns in Phoenix.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

Others will have to make the mark, until then, if USC hopes to survive that stretch short-handed.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

Chief executive Jeremy Dale pulled pints at the final home game against Mansfield in April, while director Andrew Shanahan jumped behind the bar to help short-handed staff earlier in the season.

From BBC • Aug. 6, 2025

Rufino was our driver, since Jaimito, short-handed, couldn’t take time off from the cacao harvest.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez