shortsighted

adjective

short·​sight·​ed ˈshȯrt-ˌsī-təd How to pronounce shortsighted (audio)
1
: lacking foresight
2
shortsightedly adverb
shortsightedness noun

Example Sentences

shortsighted politicians who only care about how they do in the next election The plan was dangerously shortsighted.
Recent Examples on the Web Some recruiters might believe having a peer group at work is the holy grail of retention today, but that view is shortsighted. Bruce Tulgan, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2023 In between these heart-wrenching tales, his book's backbone charts the long course of underlying injustices, negligent zoning, shortsighted policies and climate inaction that have engineered these housing dilemmas more Americans will soon face. The Arizona Republic, 22 Feb. 2023 Our rampant use of pesticides with no abandon; our shortsighted deference to cold fossil fuel interests that drill and chip away at the earth and dump the subsequent detritus back into the earth—all this has led to the tallest trees and the humblest seagrasses suffering. Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 1 Feb. 2023 When Gemma's bullish boss (Ronny Chieng) asks how the manufacturing cost of her exciting new invention compares to that of a Tesla, that's not an incidental quip: M3gan is partially satirizing the tech industry's shortsighted, irresponsible pursuit of advance without care for repercussions. A.a. Dowd, Chron, 5 Jan. 2023 This couldn’t be more shortsighted. Amanda Richardson, Quartz, 22 Oct. 2022 All this is shameful and shortsighted. Steve Forbes, Forbes, 2 June 2022 What a cynical, shortsighted take. Ashley Soebroto, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Mar. 2023 That was outrageous and, again, very shortsighted. Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Mar. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shortsighted.' 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

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shortsighted was in 1622

Dictionary Entries Near shortsighted

Cite this Entry

“Shortsighted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shortsighted. Accessed 6 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

shortsighted

adjective
short·​sight·​ed ˈshȯrt-ˈsīt-əd How to pronounce shortsighted (audio)
1
2
: showing a failure to think ahead : lacking foresight
a shortsighted policy
shortsightedly adverb
shortsightedness noun

Medical Definition

shortsighted

adjective
short·​sight·​ed ˈshȯrt-ˈsīt-əd How to pronounce shortsighted (audio)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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