short shrift

noun

1
: barely adequate time for confession before execution
2
a
: little or no attention or consideration
gave the problem short shrift
b
: quick work
usually used in the phrase make short shrift of

Did you know?

We’ve got a confession to make, but we’ll keep it brief: while it’s technically possible to make “long shrift” of something, you’re unlikely to find long shrift in our (virtual or actual) pages anytime soon. Short shrift, on the other hand, has been keeping it real—real terse, that is—for centuries. The earliest known use of the phrase comes from William Shakespeare’s play Richard III, in which Lord Hastings, who has been condemned by King Richard to be beheaded, is told by Sir Richard Ratcliffe to “Make a short shrift” as the king “longs to see your head.” Although now archaic, the noun shrift was understood in Shakespeare’s time to refer to the confession or absolution of sins, so “make a short shrift” meant, quite literally, “keep your confession short.” However, since at least the 19th century the phrase has been used figuratively to refer to a small or inadequate amount of time or attention given to something.

Examples of short shrift in a Sentence

He gives short shrift to the author's later works.
Recent Examples on the Web One is baffled by the role of slavery in causing the Civil War; the other, with his claim of unfettered immunity for the office, gives short shrift to one of the causes of the Revolutionary War and a primary foundation of democracy. Letter Writers, Twin Cities, 11 Feb. 2024 Some of the groups, however, argued that voters get short shrift. Anjali Huynh, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024 Our coverage is also deliberately fair, giving a respectful hearing to conservative ideas and conservative people who get short shrift from most other media outlets. Washington Examiner, 15 Dec. 2023 Some have said that Glazer’s film is a reinvention of the Holocaust movie, but that’s glibly giving this masterpiece short shrift. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2023 Many Muslims or those with family or friends in Gaza, meanwhile, have felt that the horrors and tragedies of Palestinian civilians are being given short shrift. Peter Vanham, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2023 The cast is also perhaps too chock full, giving some characters dismaying short shrift (more Jamie Demetriou, please). Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 18 July 2023 Why do family photos always seem to get short shrift? Nina Molina, WSJ, 29 Sep. 2023 Refracting the story of a serial killer through those of his victims (and near-victims) is a clever device on paper, but in practice the film’s tack of jumping from woman to woman gives almost all of them short shrift. The New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'short shrift.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of short shrift was in 1594

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Dictionary Entries Near short shrift

Cite this Entry

“Short shrift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20shrift. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

short shrift

noun
: little or no attention or consideration
gave the problem short shrift
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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