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

It was also hard to fill open jobs after the pandemic, and businesses don’t want to get caught short-handed again.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

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

The blip, however brief, would beg questions of how a short-handed roster might handle the brutal Big Ten slate that awaits USC in two week’s time.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

In New York, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 39 points and Landry Shamet added a career-high 36 points off the bench as the short-handed Knicks beat the Miami Heat 140-132.

From Barron's • Nov. 15, 2025

We got to the bedroom door in time to hear Grandpa say, “Best go on now, Miss Love. They short-handed at the store.”

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns