Petite vs. Short: What's the Difference?

Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on September 28, 2023

Petite refers to having a small, slender build, usually used for women, while short denotes lesser height or length, applicable to people, objects, or time.

Key Differences

Petite and short are terms often used to describe stature, but they have distinct connotations and usages. "Petite" is primarily used to describe women who are short in height but also have a small, proportionate build. It is often related to clothing sizes that are designed to fit women of smaller stature, focusing not only on height but also on overall body proportions. On the other hand, "short" is a more generic term that simply refers to a measurement that is less than average, be it height, length, or duration. It can apply to people, objects, or time periods and does not imply any specific body proportions.

When referring to individuals, "petite" implies a specific body type along with shorter height, typically characterized by a slender, delicate frame, and well-proportioned features. It’s a term more exclusive to the fashion and clothing industry, used to denote special sizing for women under 5'4". In contrast, "short" describes individuals who are below the average height, irrespective of gender, build, or proportions. It does not specify any other physical characteristics and is not exclusive to the fashion industry.

"Petite" has a more specialized and narrow application, mainly used in the context of women's apparel, emphasizing the fit and proportions suitable for smaller builds. It is more about the combination of height and proportions, providing an overall aesthetic appeal. "Short," meanwhile, has a broader and more versatile application, being used to describe anything lacking in length or duration, such as short hair, short distance, or short movie, making it a more universally applicable term.

In the context of language use, "petite" tends to have a more positive or neutral connotation, often associated with elegance and delicacy, especially when referring to women. "Short" can be neutral, positive, or negative based on the context, describing lack of length or height in people, objects, or durations, and can be used to imply insufficiency or inadequacy in certain situations.

Comparison Chart

Definition

Refers to a small, slender, well-proportioned build, usually in women.

Describes lesser height, length, or duration.

Application

Specific to women's clothing and body type.

Universal, applies to people, objects, and time.

Connotation

Positive or neutral, associated with elegance and delicacy.

Can be neutral, positive, or negative based on context.

Context

Mainly in fashion and apparel, referring to a specific body type.

Broad, referring to any lack of length or height.

Proportion

Includes consideration of body proportions.

Does not consider proportions, focuses on length or height.

Petite and Short Definitions

Petite

Referring to a specific clothing size for short women.

She found a gorgeous dress in the petite section.

Short

Measuring a small distance from end to end.

He took a short route to reach the destination.

Petite

Having a small, slender, and well-proportioned figure.

She looked elegant in petite clothing suited to her frame.

Short

Of a brief duration.

It was a short but sweet visit.

Petite

Characterized by delicacy or diminutive size.

The petite flowers adorned the table beautifully.

Short

Insufficient or less than is needed.

We are short on supplies.

Petite

Small in size and amount.

She has a petite appetite and eats very selectively.

Short

Abrupt or concise in expression or statement.

He gave a short reply to the lengthy question.

Petite

Designed to fit women who are shorter than average.

The petite section offers a variety of stylish outfits.

Short

Having little length; not long.

Petite

Short and slender

This rack of clothing is for petite women.

Short

Having little height; not tall.

Petite

Small in size or scope; tiny

“a bagel that is fairly petite by today's standards” (Ed Levine).

Short

Extending or traveling not far or not far enough

A short toss.

Petite

A clothing size for short, slender women.

Short

Lasting a brief time

A short holiday.

Petite

(especially of a woman) fairly short and of slim build.

Short

Appearing to pass quickly

Finished the job in a few short months.

Petite

(clothing) of small size.

Short

Not lengthy; succinct

Short and to the point.

Petite

Small, little; insignificant; petty.

Short

Rudely brief; abrupt

The owner was quite short with the new hire.

Petite

Small, little; of a woman or girl, of small size and trim figure.

Short

Easily provoked; irascible

Has a short temper.

Petite

A garment size for short or slender women

Short

Inadequate; insufficient

Oil in short supply.

Were short on experience.

Petite

Very small;

Diminutive in stature

A lilliputian chest of drawers

Her petite figure

Tiny feet

The flyspeck nation of Bahrain moved toward democracy

Short

Lacking in length or amount

A board that is short two inches.

Short

Lacking in breadth or scope

A short view of the problem.

Short

Deficient in retentiveness

A short memory.

Short

Holding a trading position that is inversely related to the price of a security or index

Short investors.

An investor who is short gold.

Short

Of or relating to a short sale

A short position.

Short

Containing a large amount of shortening; flaky

A short pie crust.

Short

Not ductile; brittle

Short iron.

Short

(Linguistics) Of, relating to, or being a speech sound of relatively brief duration, as the first vowel sound in the Latin word mălus, "evil," as compared with the same or a similar sound of relatively long duration, as the first vowel sound in the Latin word mālus, "apple tree."

Short

(Grammar) Of, relating to, or being a vowel sound in English, such as the vowel sound (ă) in pat or () in put, that is descended from a vowel of brief duration.

Short

Being of relatively brief duration. Used of a syllable in quantitative prosody.

Short

(Slang) Close to the end of a tour of military duty.

Short

Abruptly; quickly

Stop short.

Short

In a rude or curt manner.

Short

At a point before a given boundary, limit, or goal

A missile that landed short of the target.

Short

At a disadvantage

We were caught short by the sudden storm.

Short

By means of a short sale

Selling a commodity short.

Short

(Linguistics) A short syllable, vowel, or consonant.

Short

A brief film; a short subject.

Short

A size of clothing less long than the average for that size.

Short

Shorts Short pants extending to the knee or above.

Short

Shorts Undershorts.

Short

A short sale.

Short

One that sells short.

Short

Shorts A byproduct of wheat processing that consists of germ, bran, and coarse meal or flour.

Short

Shorts Clippings or trimmings that remain as byproducts in various manufacturing processes, often used to make an inferior variety of the product.

Short

A short circuit.

Short

A malfunction caused by a short circuit.

Short

(Baseball) A shortstop.

Short

To cause a short circuit in.

Short

(Informal) To give (one) less than one is entitled to; shortchange.

Short

To short-sell (a security or index).

Short

To short-circuit.

Short

Having a small distance from one end or edge to another, either horizontally or vertically.

Short

(of a person) Of comparatively small height.

Short

Having little duration.

Our meeting was a short six minutes today. Every day for the past month it’s been at least twenty minutes long.

Short

(followed by for) Of a word or phrase, constituting an abbreviation (for another) or shortened form (of another).

"Phone" is short for "telephone" and "asap" short for "as soon as possible".

Short

That is relatively close to the batsman.

Short

Bowled so that it bounces relatively far from the batsman.

Short

That falls short of the green or the hole.

Short

(gambling) Of betting odds, offering a small return for the money wagered.

Short

Brittle, crumbly. See shortbread, shortcake, shortcrust, shortening, hot short, cold-short.

Short

Abrupt; brief; pointed; petulant.

He gave a short answer to the question.

Short

Limited in quantity; inadequate; insufficient; scanty.

A short supply of provisions

Short

Insufficiently provided; inadequately supplied, especially with money; scantily furnished; lacking.

To be short of money

I'd lend you the cash but I'm a little short at present.

The cashier came up short ten dollars on his morning shift.

Short

Deficient; less; not coming up to a measure or standard.

An account which is short of the truth

Short

(colloquial) Undiluted; neat.

Short

(obsolete) Not distant in time; near at hand.

Short

(finance) Being in a financial investment position that is structured to be profitable if the price of the underlying security declines in the future.

Short position

I'm short in General Motors because I think their sales are plunging.

Short

(by extension) Doubtful of, skeptical of.

Short

Of money: given in the fewest possible notes, i.e. those of the largest denomination.

Short

Abruptly, curtly, briefly.

They had to stop short to avoid hitting the dog in the street.

He cut me short repeatedly in the meeting.

The boss got a message and cut the meeting short.

Short

Unawares.

The recent developments at work caught them short.

Short

Without achieving a goal or requirement.

His speech fell short of what was expected.

Short

Relatively far from the batsman and hence bouncing higher than normal; opposite of full.

Short

(finance) With a negative ownership position.

We went short most finance companies in July.

Short

A short circuit.

Short

A short film.

Short

A short version of a garment in a particular size.

38 short suits fit me right off the rack.

Do you have that size in a short?

Short

(baseball) A shortstop.

Jones smashes a grounder between third and short.

Short

(finance) A short seller.

The market decline was terrible, but the shorts were buying champagne.

Short

(finance) A short sale or short position.

He closed out his short at a modest loss after three months.

Short

A summary account.

Short

(phonetics) A short sound, syllable, or vowel.

Short

(programming) An integer variable having a smaller range than normal integers; usually two bytes long.

Short

An automobile; especially in crack shorts, to break into automobiles.

Short

(transitive) To cause a short circuit in (something).

Short

To short circuit.

Short

(transitive) To shortchange.

Short

To provide with a smaller than agreed or labeled amount.

This is the third time I’ve caught them shorting us.

Short

To sell something, especially securities, that one does not own at the moment for delivery at a later date in hopes of profiting from a decline in the price; to sell short.

Short

(obsolete) To shorten.

Short

Deficient in.

We are short a few men on the second shift.

He's short common sense.

Short

(finance) Having a negative position in.

I don’t want to be short the market going into the weekend.

Short

Not long; having brief length or linear extension; as, a short distance; a short piece of timber; a short flight.

The bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it.

Short

Not extended in time; having very limited duration; not protracted; as, short breath.

The life so short, the craft so long to learn.

To short absense I could yield.

Short

Limited in quantity; inadequate; insufficient; scanty; as, a short supply of provisions, or of water.

Short

Insufficiently provided; inadequately supplied; scantily furnished; lacking; not coming up to a resonable, or the ordinary, standard; - usually with of; as, to be short of money.

We shall be short in our provision.

Short

Deficient; defective; imperfect; not coming up, as to a measure or standard; as, an account which is short of the trith.

Short

Not distant in time; near at hand.

Marinell was sore offendedThat his departure thence should be so short.

He commanded those who were appointed to attend him to be ready by a short day.

Short

Limited in intellectual power or grasp; not comprehensive; narrow; not tenacious, as memory.

Their own short understandings reachNo farther than the present.

Short

Less important, efficaceous, or powerful; not equal or equivalent; less (than); - with of.

Hardly anything short of an invasion could rouse them again to war.

Short

Abrupt; brief; pointed; petulant; as, he gave a short answer to the question.

Short

Breaking or crumbling readily in the mouth; crisp; as, short pastry.

Short

Brittle.

Short

Not prolonged, or relatively less prolonged, in utterance; - opposed to long, and applied to vowels or to syllables. In English, the long and short of the same letter are not, in most cases, the long and short of the same sound; thus, the i in ill is the short sound, not of i in isle, but of ee in eel, and the e in pet is the short sound of a in pate, etc. See Quantity, and Guide to Pronunciation, 22, 30.

Short

A summary account.

The short and the long is, our play is preferred.

Short

The part of milled grain sifted out which is next finer than the bran.

The first remove above bran is shorts.

Short

Short, inferior hemp.

Short

Breeches; shortclothes.

Short

A short sound, syllable, or vowel.

If we compare the nearest conventional shorts and longs in English, as in "bit" and "beat," "not" and "naught," we find that the short vowels are generally wide, the long narrow, besides being generally diphthongic as well. Hence, originally short vowels can be lengthened and yet kept quite distinct from the original longs.

Short

In a short manner; briefly; limitedly; abruptly; quickly; as, to stop short in one's course; to turn short.

He was taken up very short, and adjudged corrigible for such presumptuous language.

Short

To shorten.

Short

To fail; to decrease.

Short

The location on a baseball field where the shortstop is stationed

Short

Accidental contact between two points in an electric circuit that have a potential difference

Short

The fielding position of the player on a baseball team who is stationed between 2nd and 3rd base

Short

Cheat someone by not returning him enough money

Short

Create a short-circuit in

Short

Primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration;

A short life

A short flight

A short holiday

A short story

Only a few short months

Short

Primarily spatial sense; having little length or lacking in length;

Short skirts

Short hair

The board was a foot short

A short toss

Short

Low in stature; not tall;

His was short and stocky

Short in stature

A short smokestack

Short

Not sufficient to meet a need;

An inadequate income

A poor salary

Money is short

On short rations

Food is in short supply

Short on experience

Short

Not holding securities or commodities that one sells in expectation of a fall in prices;

A short sale

Short in cotton

Short

Of speech sounds (especially vowels) of relatively short duration (as e.g. the English vowel sounds in `pat', `pet', `pit', `pot', putt')

Short

Containing a large amount of shortening; therefore tender and easy to crumble or break into flakes;

Shortbread is a short crumbly cookie

A short flaky pie crust

Short

Less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so;

A light pound

A scant cup of sugar

Regularly gives short weight

Short

Used of syllables that are unaccented or of relatively brief duration

Short

(of memory) deficient in retentiveness or range;

A short memory

Short

Lacking foresight or scope;

A short view of the problem

Shortsighted policies

Shortsighted critics derided the plan

Myopic thinking

Short

Unwilling to endure;

She was short with the slower students

Short

Quickly aroused to anger;

A hotheaded commander

Short

Most direct;

Took the shortest and most direct route to town

Short

Marked by rude or peremptory shortness;

Try to cultivate a less brusque manner

A curt reply

The salesgirl was very short with him

Short

Quickly and without warning;

He stopped suddenly

Short

Without possessing something at the time it is contractually sold;

He made his fortune by selling short just before the crash

Short

Clean across;

The car's axle snapped short

Short

At some point or distance before a goal is reached;

He fell short of our expectations

Short

So as to interrupt;

She took him up short before he could continue

Short

At a disadvantage;

I was caught short

Short

Tightly;

She caught him up short on his lapel

Short

In a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner;

He told me curtly to get on with it

He talked short with everyone

He said shortly that he didn't like it

Short

Lacking in length or height.

He is short but has a muscular build.

FAQs

Can short describe duration as well as height?

Yes, short can describe anything lacking in length, height, or duration.

Does petite specifically refer to women’s stature and build?

Yes, petite refers to women who are short with a small and well-proportioned build.

Can short be used to describe both genders?

Yes, short can describe individuals of any gender who are below average height.

Does petite always imply a slender build?

Generally, petite refers to a small, slender, and proportionate build, but it primarily denotes shorter height.

Is petite mainly used in the fashion and clothing industry?

Yes, petite is primarily used in fashion to describe clothing sizes for shorter women with smaller builds.

Is the term petite exclusive to women?

Typically, yes, petite is used to describe women with a short and slender build.

Does petite refer to specific clothing sizes?

Yes, petite refers to specific clothing sizes designed to fit women who are shorter and have a smaller build.

Can petite also refer to small quantities or amounts?

Yes, petite can describe anything small in size or amount, such as a petite serving of food.

Can short describe concise expressions or statements?

Yes, short can also refer to abrupt or concise expressions or statements.

Is short applicable to objects as well as people?

Yes, short can describe the length or height of objects, people, or the duration of time.

Is the term petite derived from the French language?

Yes, the term petite is derived from French, meaning small or little.

Can short have a negative connotation in some contexts?

Yes, short can imply insufficiency or inadequacy and have a negative connotation in some situations.

Is short a more universally applicable term than petite?

Yes, short is a versatile term that can describe height, length, or duration in various contexts.

Is petite associated with elegance and delicacy?

Often, petite is associated with a sense of elegance and delicacy, especially in the context of women.

Can short refer to a measurement of distance?

Yes, short can describe a small distance from end to end, like a short route or distance.

Repository vs. Registry

Contain vs. Consist

About Author

Written by

Janet White

Janet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.

Edited by

Harlon Moss

Harlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.