short shrift

noun

: barely adequate time for confession before execution

: little or no attention or consideration

gave the problem short shrift

: quick work

—usually used in the phrase make short shrift of

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

He gives short shrift to the author's later works.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

But even there, defensemen are given short shrift with only 13 percent of the awards. —

James Mirtle, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025 The only part of the Dylan story that gets short shrift in the film is the role that his girlfriend Suze Rotolo (renamed Sylvie in the film, portrayed by Elle Fanning) played in his artistic development. —

Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024 This welcome surprise of a narrative focuses chiefly on what Clark feels got short shrift in past coverage: the trial itself, and the many errors that compounded it, leading to a verdict that failed to meet modern standards and probably failed the ones of its time, too. —

airmail.news, 30 Nov. 2024 When The Athletic raised the subject with him in October, the Italian gave it short shrift. —

Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for short shrift