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Shortly Common

Shortly has 6 different meanings across 1 category:

Adverb

Definitions
Adverb
1

for a short time

"he was at the airport shortly before she was expected to arrive"

2

in the near future

"the doctor will soon be here"

"the book will appear shortly"

"she will arrive presently"

"we should have news before long"

3

in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner

"he told me curtly to get on with it"

"he talked short with everyone"

"he said shortly that he didn't like it"

4

in a concise manner; in a few words

"the history is summed up concisely in this book"

"she replied briefly"

"briefly, we have a problem"

"to put it shortly"

5

at a short distance

"the hem fell shortly below her knees"

6

In a short or brief time or manner; quickly.

"She finished her homework shortly before dinner was served."

In plain English: Shortly means very soon, happening just after now but not right this second.

"She will arrive shortly after the meeting ends."

Usage: Use shortly to mean very soon in the future, such as when telling someone an event will happen immediately after this moment. Do not confuse it with briefly, which describes something lasting only a small amount of time rather than occurring near now.

Example Sentences
"She will arrive shortly after the meeting ends." adv
"She will arrive shortly after lunch." adv
"The bus is expected to come in just a few minutes." adv
"Please wait here; I'll be back shortly." adv
See Also
dreckley brief short irritable recent
Related Terms

Origin

The word shortly comes from the Middle English term schortly, which was formed by adding -ly to the adjective for "brief." It entered Old English with the meaning of happening in a brief time or very soon, much like its modern usage.

Rhyming Words
hotly antly nutly aptly fatly wetly fitly catly artly costly wistly daftly softly raptly fastly deftly meetly nettly tectly shitly
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