Shortly

Definition

Shortly is an adverb describing an event happening in a near or imminent timeframe, or in a few words or brief manner.

Parts of Speech

• Adverb

Pronunciation

American English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈʃɔrtli/
• Respelling: SHAWRT-lee (with "SHAWRT" as in "caught" but with an 'sh' at the beginning, and "lee" as in "see")

British English

• IPA Pronunciation: /ˈʃɔːtli/
• Respelling: SHORT-lee (with "SHORT" as in "cot" with an 'sh' at the beginning, but longer, and "lee" as in "see")

In both dialects, "shortly" emphasizes the "short" part with primary stress and ends with the "ly" pronounced as "lee." The main difference, as with many words, is in the vowel sound of the first syllable, with the British English version typically having a slightly longer vowel sound than its American counterpart.

Etymology

The word "shortly" comes from the Old English sceortlice, from sceort (“short”) + -lice (“-ly”), from Proto-Germanic skurtaz ("short").

Derivatives

• Short
• Shorten
• Shortness
• Shortlist
• Shortfall

Synonyms

• Soon
• Presently
• Before long

Antonyms

• Later
• Eventually
• Hereafter

Usage

"Shortly" is used to denote that an event will happen in the near future or to describe a concise manner of expressing something. It's common in both formal and informal contexts.

Related Terms

• Brief
• Succinct
• Concise
• Imminent
• Shortly after/before

Detailed Definition

Adverb

• In the near future: Describing an event that is going to happen in a close or imminent timeframe.
• Example: The meeting will start shortly.

• In a few words or brief manner: Expressing something in a concise or to the point manner.
• Example: She described the incident shortly, without any embellishments.