shorten

/'ʃɔ:tn/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
shorten

The tailor will shorten the hem of the dress.

Definition

  1. Verb (transitive):

    • To make something shorter in length, duration, or extent.
    • To reduce the scope or content of something while keeping its essential elements.
    • To edit by omitting parts, often to make content less offensive or more concise.

  2. Verb (intransitive):

    • To become shorter.
Usage and Examples

  • Transitive Verb (to make shorter):

    • She had to shorten the dress because it was too long.
    • The editor asked the writer to shorten the article by 500 words.
    • Please shorten this rope by a few inches.

  • Transitive Verb (to reduce duration or scope):

    • He decided to shorten his vacation due to work commitments.
    • The film director shortened the final cut of the movie.

  • Intransitive Verb (to become shorter):

    • The days begin to shorten in autumn.
    • As the material dried, it *shortened.
Advanced Usage
  • In Editing/Publishing: Often used to describe making text more concise or suitable for an audience by removing parts.
    • The publisher required the author to shorten the manuscript by removing two chapters.
  • In Cooking/Baking: A technical term for making pastry crisp by adding fat.
    • The recipe instructs you to shorten the dough with butter.
Variants and Related Words
  • Shortened (adjective): Describes something that has been made shorter.
    • We read a shortened version of the classic novel.
  • Shortening (noun):
    • The act of making something shorter.
      • The shortening of the school day was unpopular.
    • A fat used in baking to make pastry crisp.
      • Vegetable shortening is common in many recipes.
Synonyms
  • Abbreviate: To shorten a word or phrase.
  • Abridge: To shorten a written work by condensing or omitting parts.
  • Curtail: To cut short or reduce, often implying a more severe reduction.
  • Trim: To cut away unnecessary parts to reduce size or length.
  • Contract: To draw together and reduce in size (often used intransitively).
Antonyms
  • Lengthen
  • Extend
  • Elongate
  • Prolong
Phrasal Verbs and Related Constructions
  • Shorten to: To reduce something to a specific length or duration.
    • The meeting was shortened to just thirty minutes.
  • Shorten by: To indicate the amount of reduction.
    • He shortened the speech by cutting three paragraphs.
Idioms and Common Phrases
  • To shorten the odds: (Primarily British English) In betting, to make an event seem more likely to happen; to decrease the potential payout for a bet.
    • The team's strong performance has shortened the odds on them winning the championship.
  • Shorten sail: (Nautical) To reduce the area of sail exposed to the wind.
    • The captain ordered the crew to shorten sail as the storm approached.
shorten

The tailor will shorten the hem of the dress.

Verb
  1. edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
    • bowdlerize a novel
  2. become short or shorter
    • In winter, the days shorten
  3. make short or shorter
    • shorten the skirt
    • shorten the rope by a few inches
  4. reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
    • The manuscript must be shortened
  5. make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration
    • He shortened his trip due to illness

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