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

• narrative
• novelette
• novella
• story
• tale
• yarn

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

Based on the short story by MacMillan Hedges, Deadline first reported that package was hitting the market before Thanksgiving holiday last Wednesday and had every major bidder in town chasing. —Justin Kroll, Deadline, 29 Nov. 2024

That’s in part because middle and high school teachers have noted kids’ attention problem and started assigning poems, short stories or excerpts of books instead of full works. —Erica Pandey, Axios, 29 Nov. 2024

Enter the screwball comedy The Lemon Drop Kid, starring Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell and based on the short story of the same name. —Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Nov. 2024

The National Book Award is the latest in a string of accolades for the 67-year-old author, who has dozens of books and short stories under his belt. —Char Adams, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1861, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

short story

noun

: a short work of fiction usually dealing with a few characters and a single event