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 project is based on four short stories by Mariana Enríquez, and tells the story of Ema, a woman with the ability to see and hear the dead. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 28 July 2026

Daily Fiction By Emily Doyle The following is a story from Emily Doyle's debut short story collection, Please Don’t Touch the Body. — Literary Hub, 27 July 2026

While James Bond was also partial to the odd negroni, and drank them in Fleming’s 1960 short story Risico. — Mark Littler, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Fewer than half of all adults reported reading a book of any kind in 2022; only 38 percent read a novel or short story. — Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 23 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