Analysis Complete

shorten

/ shorten /
verb

Definitions & Examples

verb Sense 1
become short or shorter
"In winter, the days shorten"
Opposites:
lengthen
Type of:
decrease diminish lessen
Usage Patterns:
Somebody ----s
verb Sense 2
make shorter than originally intended; reduce or retrench in length or duration
"He shortened his trip due to illness"
Opposites:
lengthen
Type of:
reduce cut down cut back
Kinds of:
foreshorten clip curtail cut short syncopate
Derived:
shortener
Usage Patterns:
Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something
Somebody ----s somebody PP
verb Sense 3
make short or shorter
"shorten the skirt"
"shorten the rope by a few inches"
Type of:
change alter modify
Kinds of:
cut
Derived:
shortener shortening
Usage Patterns:
Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something
verb Sense 4
reduce in scope while retaining essential elements
"The manuscript must be shortened"
Opposites:
elaborate lucubrate expatiate exposit enlarge
Type of:
decrease lessen minify
Kinds of:
bowdlerize bowdlerise expurgate castrate digest
Derived:
contraction shortener abridger abbreviator condensation
Verb group:
edit cut edit out
Usage Patterns:
Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something
Somebody ----s somebody PP
verb Sense 5
edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
"bowdlerize a novel"
Type of:
abridge foreshorten abbreviate
Derived:
expurgation castration bowdlerization bowdlerisation Bowdler
Usage Patterns:
Somebody ----s somebody into V-ing something
Semantic Complexity
65%
Sense Count
5
Total Synonyms
0
Total Relationships
49
Times Searched
2
Relationship Distribution

Word Relationship Graph

Synonyms Antonyms Hypernyms Hyponyms

Related Words

decrease diminish lessen lengthen reduce cut down cut back foreshorten clip curtail cut short syncopate