short story

noun

: 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

Synonyms of short story

• tale
• story
• novella
• narrative

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

The program pairs mentors and students to develop short stories that will be performed on stage by actors at the culmination of each school’s program. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026

The world of June Marple, the elderly amateur detective Christie featured in a dozen novels and 20 short stories, is considerably quainter. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Oct. 2026

Its digital platforms Drafting and Reign have now generated more than 1B impressions across Substack, IG and TikTok, with multiple original short stories published on Drafting now being developed for television. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2026

Among his latest publications are articles on the ancient Greek novel, translations of Korean and Indonesian fiction, including Intan Paramaditha’s Apple and Knife, and an analysis of contemporary short stories in North Korea. — Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for short story

• aurore
• forbore
• outlawry
• pylori
• savoury
• signori
• signory
• vainglory
• accusatory
• admonitory
• ambulatory
• amendatory

Kids Definition

short story

noun

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