short-staffed

British  

adjective

1. lacking an adequate number of staff, assistants, etc

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Explanation

If a business is short-staffed, it has fewer workers than usual. When a small cafe is short-staffed, servers might have to help wash dishes and ring customers up at the cash register. A short-staffed workplace suffers from an inadequate number of employees. This can be an ongoing problem: "Don't go to that grocery store, they're constantly short-staffed and the lines are always too long." It can also be a temporary situation, like the day several librarians happened to call in sick, leaving the library short-staffed. The term is from the "having too few" sense of short and the verb staff, "provide with workers."

Example Sentences

Even after Congress passes a bill and the president signs it, TSA will still be short-staffed.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

If the IRS is short-staffed, that puts the onus on taxpayers to make sure everything is correct and accurate on their returns.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 8, 2026

He added the move was to “alleviate the pressure” on air traffic controllers, who are perpetually short-staffed and now working without pay.

From Slate • Nov. 7, 2025

Officers also routinely refuse to come to work, leaving each hall critically short-staffed.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2025

“Yes. He’s upstairs, dealing with a room service mishap. They’re a bit short-staffed here.”

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin