Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

shorts

British  
/ ʃɔːts /

plural noun

  1. trousers reaching the top of the thigh or partway to the knee, worn by both sexes for sport, relaxing in summer, etc

  2. Usual Brit word: pants.  men's underpants that usually reach mid-thigh

  3. short-dated gilt-edged securities

  4. short-term bonds

  5. securities or commodities that have been sold short

  6. timber cut shorter than standard lengths

  7. a livestock feed containing a large proportion of bran and wheat germ

  8. items needed to make up a deficiency

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

And since losses from some of those shorts could be unlimited, the covering of those positions could trigger a stampede of buying, a circumstance known on Wall Street as a short squeeze.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

After being stopped in the international arrivals area, Lyons - who was wearing a t-shirt, shorts and carrying a rucksack - was handed over to I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport Area Resort Police.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

One such TikTok video of a young woman dancing in shorts and a cropped top has had 4 million views since last year.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

She talked about her first night out with her Californian roommate and the culture shock of seeing students wearing shorts to class and their public displays of affection.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

The shorts were falling, the longs—mainly smaller banks removed from the subprime market—were falling less.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis