SHORTCOMING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does shortcoming mean? 

• SHORTCOMING (noun)
  The noun SHORTCOMING has 1 sense:

1. a failing or deficiency

  Familiarity information: SHORTCOMING used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SHORTCOMING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A failing or deficiency

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

defect; shortcoming

Context example:

that interpretation is an unfortunate defect of our lack of information

Hypernyms ("shortcoming" is a kind of...):

disadvantage (the quality of having an inferior or less favorable position)

 Context examples 

But somebody had to do the cooking, and whatever else his shortcomings, Beauty Smith could cook.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

"Not a particle, but she's a dear," returned Sallie, defending her friend even while confessing her shortcomings.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Sherlock Holmes had been silent all the morning, dipping continuously into the advertisement columns of a succession of papers until at last, having apparently given up his search, he had emerged in no very sweet temper to lecture me upon my literary shortcomings.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)