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

Child has penned 29 Jack Reacher novels, as well as a book of short stories. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 30 June 2026

Build me a memorable association or short story that links their name to these details. — Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Hancock’s script is adapted from the short story by Matt and Harrison Query, which first appeared on Reddit. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026

Brian Duffield wrote the initial screenplay based off the short story by Phillip Fracassi, with revisions by Mollner. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 7 July 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