noun

foreshortening

/ˌfɔːrˈʃɔːrtənɪŋ/ · say it: FOR·short·en·ing

compressing the proportions of an object along the line of sight to create an illusion of depth

In Arts & Culture

In more detail

1. (noun) the technique of making objects appear closer or shorter than they really are in a picture or drawing

2. (noun) the act of making something appear to happen sooner or be shorter in duration than expected

Examples

1. The artist used foreshortening to create depth in the painting of a person lying down.
2. The rapid growth of technology caused a foreshortening of product life cycles.

How to use foreshortening

Foreshortening is primarily an art and visual arts term referring to the deliberate distortion of perspective to create depth or the illusion of objects receding into space. It can also be used more broadly in temporal contexts to mean abbreviating or condensing a duration or sequence of events. The term is characteristic of formal or technical discussion.

Common phrases

artistic foreshortening
foreshortening effect
foreshortening technique
foreshortening perspective
foreshorten the timeline
foreshorten the distance

Synonyms

compression · abbreviation · contraction · truncation · condensation

Opposites

elongation · extension

Word family

foreshorten (verb) · foreshortened (adjective) · foreshortens (verb)

A common mistake

Learners often confuse foreshortening with simply making something smaller or less detailed, when it specifically involves perspectival distortion to suggest spatial recession or temporal compression.

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