Caught Short

Pronunciation: /kɔt ʃɔrt/

Definitions of caught short

verb to be in a situation where one lacks something essential or necessary

Example Sentences

A1 I was caught short without any money for the bus fare.

A2 She got caught short without an umbrella in the rain.

B1 The hikers were caught short without enough water for the long trek.

B2 He was caught short without his passport at the airport.

C1 The company was caught short of funds to complete the project.

C2 The team was caught short of time to prepare for the presentation.

adjective suddenly faced with a difficulty or problem without any warning or preparation

Example Sentences

A1 I was caught short without any money for the bus fare.

A2 She was caught short without an umbrella in the sudden rain.

B1 The hikers were caught short without enough water for the long trek.

B2 The team was caught short without a backup plan for the unexpected power outage.

C1 The company was caught short without a contingency strategy for the economic downturn.

C2 The government was caught short without a comprehensive plan for the global pandemic.

Examples of caught short in a Sentence

formal Unfortunately, I was caught short without any cash on me when I needed to pay for parking.

informal I got caught short and had to borrow some money from a friend to buy lunch.

slang I was caught short and had to run to the nearest restroom.

figurative She was caught short during the exam and couldn't remember the answer.

Grammatical Forms of caught short

• past tense: caught short
• plural: caught shorts
• comparative: more caught short
• superlative: most caught short
• present tense: catch short
• future tense: will catch short
• perfect tense: have caught short
• continuous tense: is catching short
• singular: caught short
• positive degree: caught short
• infinitive: to catch short
• gerund: catching short
• participle: caught short

Origin and Evolution of caught short

First Known Use: 1905 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The phrase 'caught short' originated in the early 20th century and is believed to have its roots in British slang.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe being in a difficult or embarrassing situation due to a lack of something, the term 'caught short' has evolved to also mean being suddenly and urgently in need of something, especially in the context of needing to use the restroom.