short-term

short-term — adjective

1. designed to last, operate, or be needed for only a short time, not continuing fo

1.形容詞B1
釋義

designed to last, operate, or be needed for only a short time, not continuing for long

例句

Hamza took a short-term job at a warehouse while he looked for a permanent position.

contrast: short-term vs permanent

The company hired short-term workers to help during the busy holiday season.

collocation: short-term workers

同義詞
  • temporary

    more general; suggests the arrangement will end, but not necessarily that the duration itself is brief

  • brief

    focuses on the shortness of the period itself; less specific about planning or design

  • short-lived

    often describes things that end sooner than expected, sometimes with a negative tone

  • provisional

    formal; suggests something is temporary until a permanent solution is found

反義詞
  • long-term

    the direct opposite; describes something lasting or designed for an extended period

  • permanent

    describes something that is not expected to end or change

文法句型

short-term + noun (job / contract / lease / loan / solution)

be + short-term (in nature)

用法筆記

Commonly contrasts with 'long-term'. Often modifies nouns related to employment (job, contract, worker, staff), housing (lease, rental), and financial arrangements (loan, borrowing). This sense describes the inherent duration of the thing itself — the job only lasts a few weeks, not indefinitely.

常見錯誤

❌I have a short-term sickness.
✅I have a short illness.
💡For health issues, use 'short' rather than 'short-term'; 'short-term' typically describes planned arrangements, not unexpected conditions.
❌He needs a short-term break from work.
✅He needs a short break from work.
💡When the duration is brief but unplanned, 'short' is more natural than 'short-term.'

2. relating to the near future when thinking about results, goals, or effects, rath

2.形容詞B2
釋義

relating to the near future when thinking about results, goals, or effects, rather than looking far ahead

例句

The team set several short-term goals for the first three months of the project.

collocation: short-term goals

Mei's short-term memory held the delivery number just long enough for her to dial.

collocation: short-term memory

同義詞
  • near-term

    very close in meaning; slightly more formal and often used in business and policy contexts

  • immediate

    suggests urgency or the shortest possible time frame; stronger than 'short-term'

  • proximate

    formal and technical; used in academic or scientific writing about time horizons

反義詞
  • long-term

    the direct opposite; focuses on extended time horizons for planning or results

  • distant

    describes a future point far away; less commonly used as a direct contrast

文法句型

short-term + noun (goal / plan / memory / investment / effect / gain)

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (SHORT DURATION): sense 2 focuses on the time horizon for planning or evaluating outcomes, rather than on how long the thing itself lasts. For example, 'short-term goals' may take months to achieve (the goal itself may not be brief), but the planning window is short. Common in business, finance, psychology (short-term memory), and policy contexts.

常見錯誤

❌I borrowed money as a short-term solution.' (when meaning a quick fix that does not last long)
✅reserve for sense 1. 'A short-term loan' refers to the loan's brief duration (sense 1); 'short-term planning' refers to the near-future planning horizon (sense 2).
❌Short-term memory lasts a long time.
✅Short-term memory only holds information for seconds.
💡'Short-term memory' refers to the immediate retention of recent information, not to how long the memory function itself lasts.