shortsighted
/ˈshȯrt-ˌsī-təd/ (ame, mw)
shortsighted — adjective
- shortsightedpositive
- more shortsightedcomparative
- most shortsightedsuperlative
1. able to see only objects that are close to your eyes; unable to focus clearly on
able to see only objects that are close to your eyes; unable to focus clearly on things at a distance because light entering the eye focuses in front of the retina instead of directly on it.
Mei-Lin found out she was shortsighted when she could not read the whiteboard from the back of the classroom.
be shortsighted — used to describe a discovered condition
Without his glasses, Mr. Okonkwo felt too shortsighted to recognise faces across the street.
The optician explained that shortsighted children often squint to see distant objects more clearly.
Keiko was surprised to learn that being slightly shortsighted did not mean she needed glasses all the time.
- nearsighted
American English equivalent; identical meaning
- myopic
formal medical term, less common in everyday speech
- farsighted
opposite condition — can see far objects clearly but not close ones
文法句型
be shortsighted
shortsighted person
用法筆記
In American English this sense is usually expressed with 'nearsighted'. The term 'shortsighted' for the physical condition is more typical of British English.
常見錯誤
2. concerned only with immediate results or short-term gain without thinking about
concerned only with immediate results or short-term gain without thinking about the long-term effects of a decision or action — for example, cutting funding for education to save money this year, or choosing a cheap building material that will cost more in repairs later.
The mayor admitted the city had made a shortsighted decision by cancelling the after-school programme.
shortsighted decision — typical noun collocation
Dev argued that it would be shortsighted to ignore the warning signs of climate change just because the effects seemed distant.
it would be shortsighted to + verb — common pattern
A focus only on next quarter's profits can lead to a shortsighted business strategy that hurts long-term growth.
Olga called the plan shortsighted because it spent the entire emergency fund on one project and left nothing for unexpected costs.
- myopic
more formal; common in academic and business writing
- imprudent
focuses on lack of wisdom or caution rather than future consequences specifically
- short-term
less critical in tone; simply describes a limited time horizon
- farsighted
thinking carefully about future effects of today's actions, opposite in both literal and figurative senses
- forward-looking
positive spin on considering future implications
- prudent
showing careful judgment and foresight
文法句型
be shortsighted
be shortsighted to do something
it is shortsighted to do something
用法筆記
Frequently used to criticise policies, strategies, or individual choices that sacrifice future wellbeing for present convenience. The opposite concept is 'farsighted' (figurative sense) or 'forward-looking'.