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

Take a common homework task, such as writing a paragraph explaining the theme of a short story. — Brett Dejager, The Conversation, 10 July 2026

Yates brought out three more novels in the 1980s, along with another book of short stories, Liars in Love (1981). — Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 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

Anyone can use a GenAI tool to create, and then profit from, a short story in the style of Margaret Atwood or a cartoon in the style of Sarah Andersen. — Zoey Forbes, The Dial, 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