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, 19 Aug. 2026

Only 38% read a novel or short story, while reading for pleasure has dropped dramatically. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026

On top of directing, Hancock wrote the script, adapting the book by Matt and Harrison Query, which in turn was based on a short story by Matt Query that first appeared on Reddit. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026

On Monday, Hinge—yes, that Hinge—released a free audiobook comprised of five original short stories inspired by the dating sagas of real Hinge couples. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 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