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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
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
That an old white racist is living with a young Black mother isn’t lost on the Eggers brothers, who as co-writers only loosely adapt author Susan Hill’s short story of the same name.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2024
Outside of music, Kihn published several horror novels and edited a collection of short stories featuring the writings of beloved rock figures, Ray Davies, Pete Townshend, and Joan Jett.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2024
My favorite book of his is this collection of short stories called Going to Meet the Man.
—Michael Cuby, Them, 1 Aug. 2024
Edgar Allan Poe’s famous short story The Fall of the House of Usher, Roderick Usher is a melancholy recluse who believes his haunted mansion is the cause of his deteriorating health.
—Anna Moeslein, Parents, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for short story
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'short story.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1861, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near short story
Cite this Entry
“Short story.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20story. Accessed 19 Sep. 2024.
Kids Definition
short story
noun
: a short work of fiction usually dealing with a few characters and a single event
More from Merriam-Webster on short story
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about short story
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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