adverb
-
in a short time; soon
-
in a few words; briefly
-
in a curt or rude manner
Etymology
Origin of shortly
First recorded before 900; Middle English schortly, Old English scortlīce; see short, -ly
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.
Everton eventually pulled out of the deal, but supporters remained frustrated by the selling of Beto to Fiorentina shortly after.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
The script ends shortly after Haugen testified before Congress in October 2021, noting that the carpet in her waiting room had recently been swapped out because of bloodstains from the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
“I would be really concerned to lose them,” Burnham told the BBC shortly after the Premier League’s verdict.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Workers who lose jobs tend to file for benefits shortly after they are laid off.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Others proposed that Garfield's chest pain shortly before death was more likely the result of a blood clot in his heart.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
