Nota: La traducción de esta entrada está actualmente en revisión de calidad, por lo que parte del contenido se muestra temporalmente solo en inglés.
Esta entrada aún no se ha traducido a tu idioma, así que se muestra el original a continuación.
shrift
The word exists in two entirely different registers. In its original religious sense, it refers to the sacramental confession of sins. This usage is now archaic or restricted to historical and ecclesiastical contexts. It carries a tone of solemnity, repentance, and spiritual cleansing.
In modern daily English, the word is almost exclusively used in the idiom "give short shrift." In this context, it has lost its religious connotation and instead describes a lack of patience or a dismissive attitude. To give someone short shrift is to treat them or their ideas with abruptness, showing that you have no interest in listening or considering them further.
While the religious meaning is formal and heavy, the idiomatic usage is common in professional and social settings to describe curtness or impatience. It is typically used in a negative sense, highlighting a failure to provide fair consideration or a lack of empathy toward another person's perspective.
Meanings
Examples
The penitent knelt before the priest to make shrift.
The bishop administered shrift to the dying man.
The manager gave short shrift to my proposal for a new budget.
I tried to explain the delay but she gave me short shrift.
The critics gave short shrift to the director's latest film.
Why did the board give such short shrift to the environmental report?