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Prepositions after adjectives

Prepositions after short

Different prepositions after short create different meanings. Short of and short on are the most common fixed patterns.

Quick answer

How is short used with prepositions?

Use short of for lacking something and short on for having too little of something. Short for means an abbreviation. In and by usually express measurement or amount.

We are short of staff today.
The fridge is short on milk.
Liz is short for Elizabeth.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
short of + noun

Lacking something

This pattern means not having enough.

The team is short of time.
2
short on + noun

Having too little

Short on often refers to supplies, money, or qualities.

I'm short on cash this week.
3
short for + name or phrase

Showing an abbreviation

Use short for to explain a shortened form.

FAQ is short for frequently asked questions.
4
short by + amount

Showing a missing amount

By introduces the amount lacking.

We are short by ten dollars.
5
short in + quality

Describing lack in a quality

Short in is less common and often appears in formal descriptions.

The essay is short in detail.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
short of
They are short of workers.
Lacking enough of something.
short on
We are short on fuel.
Having too little available.
short for
Ben is short for Benjamin.
A shortened name or term.
short by
The payment was short by five euros.
Missing a specific amount.
short in
The report is short in evidence.
Lacking a quality; more formal.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using short for to mean lacking

Short for means abbreviation, not lack.

✕ We are short for chairs. ✓ We are short of chairs.

Confusing short of and short by

Short by gives the exact missing amount.

✕ We are short of ten dollars. ✓ We are short by ten dollars.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The store is short ___ fresh bread.
2. Sam is short ___ Samuel.
3. We are short ___ three tickets.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between short of and short on?

Both can mean lacking, but short on often sounds more informal and practical.

Can short in be used today?

Yes, especially in formal writing about qualities or content.

Is short by followed by an amount?

Yes. It usually introduces a number or quantity.

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"?

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