shortsighted

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparableBritishmedical

   Unable to see things clearly when they are far away, though able to see close things well.

   Grammar: Often used with a form of be: he is shortsighted. American English prefers nearsighted.

   Patterns

   • be shortsighted

   I'm shortsighted, so I wear glasses to drive.

   The boy was shortsighted and could not read the board.

2. 2adjectivecomparabledisapprovingfigurative

   Failing to think about what will happen later, so that a choice brings problems in the future.

   Grammar: Can come before a noun or after be: a shortsighted plan; the plan was shortsighted.

   Patterns

   • it is shortsighted to do something

   Cutting the training budget was a shortsighted decision.

   It would be shortsighted to ignore the maintenance costs.

Common combinations

shortsighted policy

The shortsighted policy left the city short of water.

shortsighted decision

Selling the land was a shortsighted decision.

badly shortsighted

She is badly shortsighted without her glasses.

shortsighted approach

A shortsighted approach rarely saves money.

Synonyms and how they differ

myopic

Myopic is more formal and can be the medical term or a figurative one; shortsighted is plainer.

improvident

Improvident focuses on not saving or preparing for the future, especially with money.

unwise

Unwise only says a choice is foolish, without the idea of ignoring long-term effects.

Opposites

Word family

shortsightedness noun

lack of foresight or poor distance vision

shortsightedly adverb

in a way that ignores the future

sight noun

the ability to see

Commonly confused: shortsighted or farsighted?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “shortsighted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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