Shorty means: Something or someone that is shorter than normal.. It is generally derogatory or offensive; worth a quiet word about how it lands on the person being described. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
shorty
(informal, sometimes, derogatory) Something or someone that is shorter than normal.
Seen in the wild
5 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
Told shorty to keep that box breathing.
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BlueskyMay 2026
WAAAAAZZZUUUUPPP! 😝🔪 I fratelli Wayans sono tornati! Ecco il folle trailer italiano di #ScaryMovie. Cindy, Brenda, Shorty e Ray affrontano Ghostface e la Cancel Culture. 😱🎬 Nessun cliché horror è al sicuro. Dal 4…
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BlueskyMay 2026
People say i tend to walk fast. I suspect that this is due to being a shorty who's first job was working at sonic. You learn to move at a particular clip. And you build up really good endurance working there.
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BlueskyMay 2026
I made Pootie Tang and Biggie Shorty in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and Biggie Shorty's first act on the island was to fall in love with Pootie
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BlueskyMay 2026
The argument I’m making is that Tarantino elevated Leonard’s (already good) work, which is why Jackie Brown comes up in a lot more film discussions than Get Shorty or Out of Sight. Like it or not, Jackie Brown is good…
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Definitions
US
#1·Apr 27, 2026US
(informal, sometimes, derogatory) Something or someone that is shorter than normal.
For parents
Shorty means: Something or someone that is shorter than normal.. It is generally derogatory or offensive; worth a quiet word about how it lands on the person being described. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
shorty means: Something or someone that is shorter than normal.. Register: very informal, often derogatory or vulgar. Avoid in formal, business, academic, or polite writing. Even in casual speech the word can offend and is best left out of a learner's active vocabulary. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Heard in the wild
“>> I was going to say go shorty, but that's”
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US
#2·Apr 27, 2026US
(slang, chiefly, AAVE) A child.
Cluster: child
Heard in the wild
“Told shorty to keep that box breathing.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“WAAAAAZZZUUUUPPP! 😝🔪 I fratelli Wayans sono tornati! Ecco il folle trailer italiano di #ScaryMovie. Cindy, Brenda, Shorty e Ray affrontano Ghostface e la Cancel Culture. 😱🎬 Nessun cliché horror è al sicuro. Dal 4 giugno solo al cinema! 🍿🔥”
— Bluesky· May 2026“People say i tend to walk fast. I suspect that this is due to being a shorty who's first job was working at sonic. You learn to move at a particular clip. And you build up really good endurance working there.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I made Pootie Tang and Biggie Shorty in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and Biggie Shorty's first act on the island was to fall in love with Pootie”
— Bluesky· May 2026“The argument I’m making is that Tarantino elevated Leonard’s (already good) work, which is why Jackie Brown comes up in a lot more film discussions than Get Shorty or Out of Sight. Like it or not, Jackie Brown is good because of Tarantino, not despite him.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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US
#3·Apr 27, 2026US
(slang, chiefly, AAVE) An attractive young female, especially one who is sexually available.
: Ever since they introduced the world to Patrick Ewing and Michael Graham, Georgetown has been the Black school of choice for every shorty [...]
Cluster: sex
Heard in the wild
“>> I was going to say go shorty, but that's”
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "shorty" (S)
shortholdshortieshort pantsshort sharp shockshortsomeshort-timershot callershottershotter arcshotter checkshotter codedshotter core
Browse all slang words starting with S.