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shorten

Meaning in simple English, pronunciation and examples

Pronunciation: US /ˈʃɔrtən/ · UK /ˈʃɔːtən/

Forms: shortening, shortened

shorten means: To make something less long, or to become less long.

verb

MAKE SHORTERB1

To make something less long, or to become less long.

  • Can you shorten these trousers?
  • We shortened the meeting by half an hour.
  • The days shorten as winter approaches.

How to use it: shorten something by something (She shortened the skirt by five centimeters.); shorten something to something (Please shorten your speech to ten minutes.)

Similar words: reduce, cut, abridge

Opposites: lengthen, extend

Common phrases: shorten a skirt, shorten the journey, shorten a speech

REDUCE AMOUNTC2

To make the amount or quantity of something smaller.

  • They shortened the sailors’ food allowance.
  • The captain shortened their daily ration again.
  • Poor harvests had shortened the supply of grain.

Similar words: reduce, decrease, lessen

Opposites: increase

Common phrases: shorten the allowance, shorten the supply

Questions about shorten

What does shorten mean?

To make something less long, or to become less long.

What is shorten in other languages?

Türkçe: kısaltmak · Español: acortar · Français: raccourcir · Deutsch: kürzen · Italiano: accorciare · 日本語: 短くする

How do you pronounce shorten?

In American English /ˈʃɔrtən/; in British English /ˈʃɔːtən/.

How do you use shorten in a sentence?

Can you shorten these trousers? We shortened the meeting by half an hour.

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shorten in other languages

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