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.

See also: nothing, of, short

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.

See also: nothing, of, short

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.

See also: nothing, of, short

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.

See also: little, nothing, of, short, sth