"make short work of" meaning in English

See make short work of in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-make short work of.ogg Forms: makes short work of [present, singular, third-person], making short work of [participle, present], made short work of [participle, past], made short work of [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|make<,,made> short work of}} make short work of (third-person singular simple present makes short work of, present participle making short work of, simple past and past participle made short work of)
  1. (transitive, idiomatic) To do (a task) quicker or easier. Tags: idiomatic, transitive Translations (make (a task) quicker or easier): helpottaa (Finnish), nopeuttaa (Finnish), gera sér lítið fyrir (Icelandic), dar buena cuenta de (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-make_short_work_of-en-verb-Z1f7fEmw Disambiguation of 'make (a task) quicker or easier': 93 7
  2. (transitive, idiomatic) To deal with or overcome (someone or something) quickly and without difficulty. Tags: idiomatic, transitive Synonyms: make quick work of, make mincemeat of Related terms: short shrift Translations (deal with or overcome (someone or something) quickly and without difficulty): hoitaa alta pois (Finnish), ne faire qu’une bouchée de (French)
    Sense id: en-make_short_work_of-en-verb-72nSZGWZ Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Icelandic translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 17 83 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 21 79 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 15 85 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 10 90 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 23 77 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 21 79 Disambiguation of Terms with Icelandic translations: 23 77 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 15 85 Disambiguation of 'deal with or overcome (someone or something) quickly and without difficulty': 1 99

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "makes short work of",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "making short work of",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "made short work of",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "made short work of",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "make<,,made> short work of"
      },
      "expansion": "make short work of (third-person singular simple present makes short work of, present participle making short work of, simple past and past participle made short work of)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "A good electric screwdriver will make short work of the disassembly process.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1962 September, G. Freeman Allen, “The New Look in Scotland's Northern Division—1”, in Modern Railways, page 164:",
          "text": "[...] a cab ride in one of the Birmingham Type 2 diesels over the Mallaig extension demonstrated what short work—and what a transformation of the engineman's lot—these machines make of the gradients by comparison with their steam predecessors.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To do (a task) quicker or easier."
      ],
      "id": "en-make_short_work_of-en-verb-Z1f7fEmw",
      "links": [
        [
          "task",
          "task"
        ],
        [
          "quicker",
          "quicker"
        ],
        [
          "easier",
          "easier"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, idiomatic) To do (a task) quicker or easier."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "make (a task) quicker or easier",
          "word": "helpottaa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "make (a task) quicker or easier",
          "word": "nopeuttaa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "make (a task) quicker or easier",
          "word": "gera sér lítið fyrir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "make (a task) quicker or easier",
          "word": "dar buena cuenta de"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "17 83",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 79",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 85",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 90",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 77",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 79",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 77",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Icelandic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 85",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1897, Maynard Barbour, chapter 26, in The Award of Justice:",
          "text": "\"There was desperate characters here, but the vigilantes made short work of 'em.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1904–1907 (date written), James Joyce, “Counterparts”, in Dubliners, London: Grant Richards, published June 1914, →OCLC:",
          "text": "\"You impertinent ruffian! You impertinent ruffian! I'll make short work of you!\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 March 19, Bosnian Ape Society, 5:23 from the start, in Is Your Car Safe From Supermaneuverable Air-Defense Fighter Aircraft?, archived from the original on 2022-08-07:",
          "text": "With what you have learned from your drivers' education course so far, you should be able to make short work of an enemy aircraft.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 February 8, Greg Morse, “Crossing the border... by Sleeper”, in RAIL, number 976, page 42:",
          "text": "I arrange some of my things and sit back, making short work of the chocolate bars supplied to passengers.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To deal with or overcome (someone or something) quickly and without difficulty."
      ],
      "id": "en-make_short_work_of-en-verb-72nSZGWZ",
      "links": [
        [
          "deal with",
          "deal with"
        ],
        [
          "overcome",
          "overcome"
        ],
        [
          "difficulty",
          "difficulty"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, idiomatic) To deal with or overcome (someone or something) quickly and without difficulty."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "word": "short shrift"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "word": "make quick work of"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "word": "make mincemeat of"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "deal with or overcome (someone or something) quickly and without difficulty",
          "word": "hoitaa alta pois"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 99",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "deal with or overcome (someone or something) quickly and without difficulty",
          "word": "ne faire qu’une bouchée de"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-make short work of.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/cf/En-au-make_short_work_of.ogg/En-au-make_short_work_of.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/En-au-make_short_work_of.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "make short work of"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Icelandic translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "makes short work of",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "making short work of",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "made short work of",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "made short work of",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
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  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "make<,,made> short work of"
      },
      "expansion": "make short work of (third-person singular simple present makes short work of, present participle making short work of, simple past and past participle made short work of)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "short shrift"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
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      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "A good electric screwdriver will make short work of the disassembly process.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1962 September, G. Freeman Allen, “The New Look in Scotland's Northern Division—1”, in Modern Railways, page 164:",
          "text": "[...] a cab ride in one of the Birmingham Type 2 diesels over the Mallaig extension demonstrated what short work—and what a transformation of the engineman's lot—these machines make of the gradients by comparison with their steam predecessors.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To do (a task) quicker or easier."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "task",
          "task"
        ],
        [
          "quicker",
          "quicker"
        ],
        [
          "easier",
          "easier"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, idiomatic) To do (a task) quicker or easier."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1897, Maynard Barbour, chapter 26, in The Award of Justice:",
          "text": "\"There was desperate characters here, but the vigilantes made short work of 'em.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1904–1907 (date written), James Joyce, “Counterparts”, in Dubliners, London: Grant Richards, published June 1914, →OCLC:",
          "text": "\"You impertinent ruffian! You impertinent ruffian! I'll make short work of you!\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 March 19, Bosnian Ape Society, 5:23 from the start, in Is Your Car Safe From Supermaneuverable Air-Defense Fighter Aircraft?, archived from the original on 2022-08-07:",
          "text": "With what you have learned from your drivers' education course so far, you should be able to make short work of an enemy aircraft.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 February 8, Greg Morse, “Crossing the border... by Sleeper”, in RAIL, number 976, page 42:",
          "text": "I arrange some of my things and sit back, making short work of the chocolate bars supplied to passengers.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To deal with or overcome (someone or something) quickly and without difficulty."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "deal with",
          "deal with"
        ],
        [
          "overcome",
          "overcome"
        ],
        [
          "difficulty",
          "difficulty"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, idiomatic) To deal with or overcome (someone or something) quickly and without difficulty."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-make short work of.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/cf/En-au-make_short_work_of.ogg/En-au-make_short_work_of.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/En-au-make_short_work_of.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "make quick work of"
    },
    {
      "word": "make mincemeat of"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "make (a task) quicker or easier",
      "word": "helpottaa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "make (a task) quicker or easier",
      "word": "nopeuttaa"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "make (a task) quicker or easier",
      "word": "gera sér lítið fyrir"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "make (a task) quicker or easier",
      "word": "dar buena cuenta de"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "deal with or overcome (someone or something) quickly and without difficulty",
      "word": "hoitaa alta pois"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "deal with or overcome (someone or something) quickly and without difficulty",
      "word": "ne faire qu’une bouchée de"
    }
  ],
  "word": "make short work of"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.