short-sighted

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "short-sighted" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe someone who lacks foresight or is unable to see the long-term consequences of their actions. An example: "His short-sighted decisions led to significant problems down the road." Alternative expressions include "myopic" and "narrow-minded."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

True, but short-sighted.

The Economist

This is short-sighted.

The Economist

Tempting, but short-sighted.

The Economist

It is so short-sighted.

Independent

It is very short-sighted".

The Guardian

It's short-sighted and dangerous.

The New York Times

That may be short-sighted.

The Economist

That is shamefully short-sighted.

The Economist

"They are very short-sighted.

Independent

This is terribly short-sighted.

The New York Times - Health

It's short-sighted.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure the phrase is hyphenated when it functions as an adjective, whether it appears before the noun it modifies or after a linking verb like 'is' or 'seems'.

Common error

In medical or scientific writing, prefer 'myopia' or 'nearsightedness' for physical vision. While "short-sighted" is common in general news, using it in a clinical report to describe a vision defect might lead to ambiguity with its much more frequent figurative meaning of 'lacking foresight'.

Linguistic Context

In linguistic terms, "short-sighted" functions as a compound adjective. According to Ludwig AI, it is primarily used to modify nouns (e.g., "short-sighted strategy") or as a predicative adjective (e.g., "the policy was short-sighted"). It serves to attribute a specific quality of limited perception to its subject.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

15%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Wiki

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "short-sighted" is a highly effective adjective used to describe a lack of foresight or imagination regarding the future. Ludwig AI highlights its prevalence in top-tier news publications, where it serves as a standard descriptor for flawed economic or political strategies. While it can literally refer to physical vision, its figurative use—as a synonym for "myopic"—is far more frequent in professional and academic writing. Using it allows a writer to deliver a clear and authoritative critique of any decision that prioritizes the 'now' at the expense of the 'later'.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

myopic

More formal and can carry a slightly more scientific or clinical tone when used figuratively.

near-sighted

Often used interchangeably in a literal sense but less common in political or economic figurative contexts.

improvident

Focuses specifically on the failure to provide for the future or lack of thrift.

narrow-minded

Shifts the focus from a lack of time-based foresight to a general lack of broad perspective.

imprudent

Highlights the lack of wisdom or caution in a decision rather than just the lack of foresight.

ill-advised

Describes the result of the planning (a bad decision) rather than the inherent trait of the planner.

small-minded

Suggests a more personal or petty motivation for the lack of vision.

un-visionary

Directly negates the quality of having a long-term plan or vision.

provincial

Implies a narrowness of perspective limited to a specific locality or old-fashioned view.

undiscerning

Focuses on the inability to judge or see the nuances of a situation.

FAQs

How to use short-sighted in a sentence?

You can use it to describe a decision, as in "The budget cuts were criticized as "short-sighted" because they ignored future infrastructure needs."

What can I say instead of short-sighted?

Depending on your tone, you might use "myopic" for a more formal critique or "narrow-minded" if the issue is a lack of general perspective.

Is it short-sighted or nearsighted?

While both can mean having a literal vision problem, ""short-sighted"" is the preferred term in British English and for figurative use globally, whereas "nearsighted" is more common in American English for the literal condition.

What is the opposite of short-sighted?

The antonym is "far-sighted", which describes someone who has the wisdom to plan for the future.