shortcoming

From short +‎ coming.

• enPR: shôrt
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɔːtˌkʌmɪŋ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US)
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɔɹtˌkʌmɪŋ/
  • (St. Louis) IPA^(key): [ˈʃɑɹtˌkʌmɪŋ]
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈʃoːtˌkʌmɪŋ/

shortcoming (plural shortcomings) (usually plural)

1. A deficiency or falling short; failure to attain a goal or ideal.
   • 14 August 2013, Daniel Taylor, “Rickie Lambert's debut goal gives England victory over Scotland”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     They were behind twice, first to James Morrison's 11th-minute strike and then Kenny Miller's effort early in the second half. England responded with goals of their own from Theo Walcott and Daniel Welbeck and, on the balance of play, probably deserved the victory. On the flip-side, they could conceivably have lost because of their various shortcomings in defence. They also have a goalkeeper, Joe Hart, who is a danger to his own team on nights like these.

   • 2023 March 8, Christian Wolmar, “Labour passes up the chance to deliver a forceful rail policy”, in RAIL, page 34:

     In truth, I suspect it will take more than the first term of a Labour government to address the shortcomings of the railway system in the North.

• come up short
• fall short
• shortcomer
• shortfall

• “shortcoming”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “shortcoming”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.