little/nothing short of sth
nothing short of
At or near the same level of; equivalent to; exemplary of. Her latest book is nothing short of a masterpiece. The ambassador's actions were nothing short of treason.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
nothing short of something
more or less the same as something bad; as bad as something. His behavior was nothing short of criminal. Climbing those mountains alone is nothing short of suicide.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
nothing short of
The equivalent of, the same as, as in His accusation is nothing short of slander. This term is slightly stronger than little short of, meaning "almost the same as," as in Her claim is little short of stupid. The first term dates from about 1800, the second from about 1830. Also see short of.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
little/nothing short of ˈsth
used when you are saying that something is almost true, or is equal to something: Last year’s figures were little short of disastrous. ♢ The transformation has been nothing short of a miracle.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017