short story

noun

Synonyms of short storynext
: an invented prose narrative shorter than a novel usually dealing with a few characters and aiming at unity of effect and often concentrating on the creation of mood rather than plot

Examples of short story in a Sentence

her very first short story was accepted for publication in a local journal
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sadly, male readership of novels and short stories is at a historic low. Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026 My novels are in a major key, but my short stories tend to be in a minor key. Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 28 Feb. 2026 These are really short stories, like 100-word stories, but that’s where AI is going. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 28 Feb. 2026 For her, the little pink houses of our decaying American mythology are still haunted enough to give her a few more good short stories. Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for short story

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of short story was in 1861

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Cite this Entry

“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20story. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

short story

noun
: a short work of fiction usually dealing with a few characters and a single event

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