[adv] in the near future; "the doctor will soon be here"; "the book will appear shortly"; "she will arrive presently"; "we should have news before long"
[adv] for a short time; "he was at the airport shortly before she was expected to arrive"
[adv] at a short distance; "the hem fell shortly below her knees"
[adv] in a concise manner; in a few words; "the history is summed up concisely in this book"; "she replied briefly"; "briefly, we have a problem"; "to put it shortly"
[adv] in a curt, abrupt and discourteous manner; "he told me curtly to get on with it"; "he talked short with everyone"; "he said shortly that he didn't like it"
Synonyms
before long, briefly, concisely, curtly, in brief, in short, not far, not long, presently, short, soon