shortchange

See also: short-change and short change

English

Alternative forms

• short change
• short-change

Etymology

short +‎ change

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ʃɔɹtˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ʃɔːtˈtʃeɪnd͡ʒ/
• Rhymes: -eɪnd͡ʒ

Verb

shortchange (third-person singular simple present shortchanges, present participle shortchanging, simple past and past participle shortchanged)

1. (transitive) To defraud (someone) by giving them less change than they should be given after a transaction.

   I got shortchanged! I gave him $10 for a $5 item and he only gave me $1 back.

2. (transitive, by extension) To deprive (someone) of something due; to treat unfairly; to cheat, deceive.
   • 1964 June 16, “Short End of Exchange”, in The Indianapolis Star, volume 62, number 11, Indianapolis, Ind., page 14:

     Specific evidence that the United States is being short-changed in the cultural exchange program with the Soviet Union has been offered by Representative Michael Feighan of Ohio, chairman of the House subcommittee and the joint Senate House Committee on Immigration and Nationality Policy.

3. To make disadvantaged by design.

   Being proud of mistreating shortchanged "enemies" is a likely sign of class consciousness, as well as thinking or speaking ill of them.

Translations

to defraud (someone) by giving them less change than they should be given after a transaction

• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Bulgarian: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} te weinig wisselgeld geven
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: antaa väärin takaisin
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Khmer: អាប់លុយ​ខ្វះ (ʼapluy-khvah)
• Romanian: please add this translation if you can
• Russian: обсчи́тывать (ru) impf (obsčítyvatʹ), обсчита́ть (ru) pf (obsčitátʹ)
• Spanish: sisar (es)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can

to deprive (someone) of something due; to treat unfairly

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} iemand afzetten, bedriegen (nl)
• Finnish: huijata (fi), pettää (fi)
• Russian: обма́нывать (ru) impf (obmányvatʹ), обману́ть (ru) pf (obmanútʹ)