Trim vs. shorten: what’s the difference?
The short answer
Trim often implies making precise cuts to tidy or neaten something, such as removing excess or unwanted parts, and is commonly used in the context of grooming or shaping (e.g., hair, hedges). Shorten is a more general term that means reducing the length or duration of something and can apply to tangible objects as well as abstract concepts like time or distance.
What they have in common
Both trim and shorten involve reducing the length, size, or extent of something. They can both be used to describe making something less long or cutting away parts to achieve a desired size.
Examples
trim
- She decided to trim her bangs before the party.
- He trimmed the bushes to keep the garden neat.
- The carpenter trimmed the door to make it fit the frame.
- Please trim any unnecessary words from your essay.
shorten
- They had to shorten their trip due to bad weather.
- She shortened the skirt for a better fit.
- The new software will shorten the processing time significantly.
- Adding a bridge can shorten the route across the river.
Which one is more common?
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