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

Her essays, poems, reviews, and short stories have appeared in regional and international literary journals. — Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2026

William Trevor’s short story recounts the course of a strange relationship—between a bully and her victim, a teacher named Miss Smith and her student, James. — The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 12 Nov. 2026

Short stories Pritam published about 20 collections of short stories. — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Nov. 2026

The erotic audio subscription service held a fan-fiction writing contest in partnership with the movie, encouraging writers to create a short story in the Wicker universe. — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 11 Nov. 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