shortcoming

American  

[shawrt-kuhm-ing] / ˈʃɔrtˌkʌm ɪŋ /

noun

1. a failure, defect, or deficiency in conduct, condition, thought, ability, etc..

   a social shortcoming; a shortcoming of his philosophy.

   Synonyms:

   weakness, failing, flaw, fault

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shortcoming British  

/ ˈʃɔːtˌkʌmɪŋ /

noun

1. a failing, defect, or deficiency

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Etymology

Origin of shortcoming

First recorded in 1670–80; short + coming

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."

Example Sentences

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

These voices insist that it isn’t “real cooking” unless everything is homemade, that shortcuts signify failure, and that feeding yourself—or others—this way reflects some deeper shortcoming.

From Salon • Jan. 5, 2026

The show’s primary shortcoming is that the Fisher is too small to accommodate a full retrospective of an artist who has been making significant art for more than 30 years.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025

A similar shortcoming biased the 1948 poll which showed Thomas Dewey beating Harry Truman.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

• defect
• deficiency
• drawback
• failing
• fault
• flaw
• frailty
• imperfection
• lack
• lapse
• sin
• weakness