short shrift
/ˌʃɔɹt ˈʃɹɪft/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.23 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
2
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A rushed sacrament of confession given to a prisoner who is to be executed very soon.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Sometimes preceded by the: a quick dismissal or rejection, especially one which is impolite and undertaken without proper consideration.
Uncountable
noun
Something dealt with or overcome quickly and without difficulty; something made short work of.
Dated; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Diſpatch my Lo[rd] the Duke would be at dinner: / Make a ſhort ſhrift, he longs to ſee your head."
- "I pray you, tell my kind cousin, if he loves such companions, he had best keep them in his own estates; for here they are like to meet short shrift and a tight cord."
- ""Doubt not my sanctity," interrupted the Friar, "or I shall be necessitated to convince thee, by shewing thee a cast of my office which will make thee repent of thy error. I am used to give short shrifts and sharp cords.""
- ""I demand a brief space and a confessor, to make my peace with heaven." […] "Grant his request," said the archbishop, in a careless tone, which showed that he only spoke to save appearances; "my chaplain, upon whose discretion I can rely, will make short shrift with them.""
- "[A]n hour was allotted him to make peace with the Unknown; ropes were placed around the necks of the three, and at the end of the time they were given short shrift, and were soon hanging between heaven and earth."
- ""Here is a spy of the enemy, General," said the Sergeant. / "Make short shrift of him! We have no time for court-martials now." / "He's been condemned already, sir. He's the same man that was rescued from under the gallows by Commodore Stout's men.""
Etymology
From short + shrift (“act of going to or hearing a religious confession; confession to a priest”). Shrift is derived from Middle English shrift (“confession to a priest; act or instance of this; sacrament of penance; penance assigned by a priest; penitence, repentance; punishment for sin”) [and other forms], from Old English sċrift (“penance, shrift; something prescribed as punishment, penalty; one who passes sentence, a judge”), from sċrīfan (“of a priest: to prescribe absolution or penance; to pass judgment, ordain, prescribe; to appoint, decree”) (whence shrive), from Proto-Germanic *skrībaną (“to write”), from Latin scrībō (“to write”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreybʰ- (“to scratch, tear”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌʃɔɹt ˈʃɹɪft/
- British English: /ˌʃɔːt ˈʃɹɪft/