short shrift
noun
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
Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
Her goal was to make the modern and contemporary art galleries—which have historically been given short shrift at the Met—an intrinsic part of the institution.
—News Desk, Artforum, 10 Dec. 2024
But there’s something more important, but less visible, that often gets short shrift: our organization’s operating model.
—Julia Dhar, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Consumer advocates have worried that a second Trump administration would give short shrift to financial protection laws.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Short shrift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20shrift. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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