short shrift
Americannoun
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little attention or consideration in dealing with a person or matter.
She'll give short shrift to such a weak argument.
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a brief time for confession or absolution given to a condemned prisoner before their execution.
noun
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brief and unsympathetic treatment
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(formerly) a brief period allowed to a condemned prisoner to make confession
-
to dispose of quickly and unsympathetically
Etymology
Origin of short shrift
First recorded in 1585–95
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.
In Europe, you will get short shrift if you ask the barista for a nonfat, no-foam, vanilla-flavored double-shot latte.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Executives hoping for a sympathetic hearing for underwhelming numbers this earnings season are likely to receive short shrift and might have to brace for a stock tumble.
From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026
Both shows foreground queer characters – bisexual men and women, specifically – whose attractions aren’t discounted or given short shrift.
From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2026
The result was “a sea change in the economics of the malpractice plaintiffs’ bar,” Rand found, with cases where the judgment cap would cut too deeply into attorney fees getting short shrift.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2026
At the time, however, my report was given short shrift because of another related report with greater ramifications.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
