shortcoming
Americannoun
-
shortcomings
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of shortcoming
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."
Vocabulary lists containing shortcoming
This Week In Words: October 19–25, 2019
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The War That Saved My Life
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The Wrong Way Home
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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.
See Examples For:
One shortcoming, by the way, of this menu is it works best for established firms that know what they’ve built.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
But spokesman Pitambar Ghimire admitted that "our only shortcoming is proper implementation".
From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 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
Osborne’s shortcoming, as Lawes saw it, was that he gave prisoners too much self-government too fast—and that some of what he gave should never be given at all.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Therefore, the exposure both companies have to OpenAI means any shortcomings there would have an impact on near-term estimates, Birmingham said in emailed comments.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
The shortcomings are tied to the Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money-laundering compliance program.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Police have said that "while there may have been shortcomings in individual instances, these should not be taken as representative of the investigation as a whole".
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Some shortcomings are unique to the Fed, including a governance model that requires academic macroeconomists on the Board of Governors to oversee a complex construction project.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
“Not a particle, but she’s a dear,” returned Sallie, defending her friend even while confessing her shortcomings.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
