shortly

Meanings

1. 1
   adv

   for a short time

   I was at the airport shortly before they were expected to arrive.

2. 2
   adv

   at a minimal or small distance

   The cat's tail hung shortly off the counter top.

3. 3
   adv

   In or after a short time; soon.

   The past perfect progressive is used for actions and situations which had continued up to a past moment or shortly before it.

4. 4
   adv

   In few words.

   Ideas are generally expressed more shortly in verse than in prose

5. 5
   adv

   In an irritable ("short") manner.

   "Stop interrupting me, will ya?" she said shortly.

6. 6
   adv

   in the near future

7. 7
   adv

   in a concise manner

8. 8
   adv

   in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner

Etymology

From Middle English schortly, schortliche, from Old English sċortlīċe (“shortly; before long; soon”), equivalent to short + -ly.