Short shrift
Short shrift means little time, sympathy, or attention given to someone or something, usually before a quick dismissal; the phrase appears in Shakespeare’s Richard III, where a condemned man is allowed little time to confess before execution.
Where it comes from
A hurried confession
Shrift is an old word for confession to a priest and the forgiveness that follows. In Richard III, the phrase describes the brief spiritual preparation allowed before an execution.
After Hastings is condemned, Ratcliffe urges him to finish his confession quickly because Richard wants the execution completed before dinner.
In Richard III by William Shakespeare
Little patience or consideration
Today, giving something short shrift means dismissing it with little patience or consideration. It can suggest unfair treatment, though it can also describe a firm refusal to waste time.
In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge dismisses the visitors seeking money for the poor and points them towards prisons and workhouses. His response illustrates the modern meaning of giving an appeal short shrift.
In A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
How to use short shrift
- Use it for a request, idea, or person dismissed with little consideration.
- Choose give short shrift for the person dismissing and get short shrift for the person dismissed.
- Make clear whether the quick dismissal seems unfair or sensible.
Is getting short shrift always unfair?
No, getting short shrift is not always unfair. The phrase often suggests that someone deserved more attention, but it can also express approval when a foolish excuse or harmful proposal is firmly dismissed.
Is it short shrift or short shift?
The phrase is short shrift, not short shift. Shrift is an old word connected with confession and forgiveness, which explains the hurried preparation for death in Richard III. It has nothing to do with working hours.
Related terms
Books where you can see Short shrift
200,000+ classics to read and hear, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months free
