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• short circuit
  short circuit

  noun

  an abnormal, usually unintentional condition of relatively low resistance between two points of different potential in a circuit, usually resulting in a flow of excess current.
• short-circuit
  short-circuit

short circuit

¹ American  

noun

Electricity.

1. Also called short.  an abnormal, usually unintentional condition of relatively low resistance between two points of different potential in a circuit, usually resulting in a flow of excess current.

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short-circuit ² American  

[shawrt-sur-kit] / ˌʃɔrtˈsɜr kɪt /

verb (used with object)

• short-circuits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• short-circuited,
  past participle,  past
• short-circuiting
  present participle

1. Electricity.

   1. to make (an appliance, switch, etc.) inoperable by establishing a short circuit in.

   2. to carry (a current) as a short circuit.

2. to bypass, impede, hinder, or frustrate.

   Bad weather short-circuited my vacation plans.

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verb (used without object)

• short-circuits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• short-circuited,
  past participle,  past
• short-circuiting
  present participle

1. Electricity. to form a short circuit or become inoperable due to a short circuit.

short circuit British  

noun

1. a faulty or accidental connection between two points of different potential in an electric circuit, bypassing the load and establishing a path of low resistance through which an excessive current can flow. It can cause damage to the components if the circuit is not protected by a fuse

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verb

1. to develop or cause to develop a short circuit

2. (tr) to bypass (a procedure, regulation, etc)

3. (tr) to hinder or frustrate (plans, etc)

short circuit Scientific  

/ shôrt /

1. An electrical path in a circuit that causes most of the current to flow around or away from some other path in the circuit. Accidental short circuits, especially between the high and low voltages of a power supply, can cause very strong current to flow, possibly damaging or overheating the circuit.

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short circuit Cultural  

1. An electrical circuit in which a path of very low resistance has been opened, usually accidentally. When the resistance drops, the electric current (see also current) in the circuit becomes very high and can cause damage to the circuit and start fires.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• short-circuiting
  present
• short-circuited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• short-circuit
  simple
• short-circuits
  simple
• have short-circuited
  perfect
• has short-circuited
  perfect
• am short-circuiting
  progressive
• are short-circuiting
  progressive
• is short-circuiting
  progressive
• have been short-circuiting
  perfect progressive
• has been short-circuiting
  perfect progressive

Past

• short-circuited
  simple
• had short-circuited
  perfect
• was short-circuiting
  progressive
• were short-circuiting
  progressive
• had been short-circuiting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will short-circuit
  simple
• will have short-circuited
  perfect
• will be short-circuiting
  progressive
• will have been short-circuiting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of short circuit¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Origin of short-circuit²

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

short circuit short-circuit short-circuits short-circuited short-circuiting

Adams pointed to social media platforms like X as evidence that machines “can easily short circuit our sense of human accountability and responsibility.”

From Salon ● Mar. 30, 2026

The fire may have been caused by a short circuit, he said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2025

These batteries can produce extreme heat and fire if damage or manufacturing faults cause them to short circuit.

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2025

I could still hear the words, feel the numbness settle in, like a short circuit in my brain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2025

Something had gone wrong in the electrical system of the command module, resulting in a short circuit.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

His 8-foot wingspan and uncanny quickness let him short-circuit opposing offenses all by himself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026

The submarine vanished on November 15, 2017 after reporting that seawater had entered the ventilation system, causing a battery on the vessel to short-circuit and start a fire.

From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026

In recent years, those officials noted, both Democratic and Republican administrations have tried at times to short-circuit competition for big cases among law enforcement agencies and judicial districts.

From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2025

But First Choice does not want to wait; it seeks to short-circuit the New Jersey judiciary and win a get-out-of-subpoena-free card from the federal courts immediately.

From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2025

The scientists urged the committee not to short-circuit testing that could make nuclear weapons more moral.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Her faith is no facade, and it short-circuits the sort of subtextual psychological approach we might expect in a more typical bio-drama.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025

Beyond that, the decision short-circuits the careful development of the law of PLCAA.

From Slate ● Jun. 6, 2025

Some scooters began catching fire which, auto experts say, was likely due to short-circuits or faulty battery management system.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2025

Like virtually all electrical wires, conventional superconducting magnets are fully protected by insulating material to prevent short-circuits between the wires.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 4, 2024

Convulsions stopped as short-circuits flared in both head and body.

From Shock Treatment by Stanley Mullen

Yet whatever momentum that was building appeared to be short-circuited by the war with Iran.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

That process normally requires an investigation, but can be short-circuited where there are serious harms, risks to children, and histories of non-compliance.

From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026

His absence figured to make it hard for the Lakers to incorporate the slew of fresh faces they’d brought in to address the defensive deficiencies that had short-circuited their playoff run a season ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2025

"Maybe it's the failure of Oslo that gave rise to the rather unconventional approach that Trump has taken, where he has short-circuited any sort of process and simply pressured and cajoled," Yacoubian said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2025

Then I think about how many humans might have wandered in with the same intentions, and I realize that my brain short-circuited and kicked out the wrong image.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Apple shares had their worst day in more than a year Thursday after it announced big price increases, short-circuiting a tech rally sparked by memory maker Micron’s solid results.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

She’s the film’s sole draw, but Thatcher's expertise can’t save it from short-circuiting in the end.

From Salon ● Jan. 31, 2025

For the finale, Dan Caten, dressed for the evening in a sheer black top and trousers, zapped into Dean Caten, who emerged after some short-circuiting in drag, to the delight of the fashion crowd.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 12, 2024

Marsha Hunt appeared in more than 50 films before being accused of communist sympathies, short-circuiting her career.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2024

The water was full of short-circuiting spiders, some of them smashing against the pool’s concrete wall with such force they burst.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

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