短促 (duǎn cù) is an adjective meaning 'brief', 'short-lived', or 'abrupt'—emphasizing both brevity in duration and suddenness in ending. The character 短 means 'short' (in length or time), while 促 means 'to urge', 'to hasten', or 'to press forward', lending a sense of urgency or abrupt conclusion. Together, they describe something that is not only short but also sharply cut off—like a gasp, a cry, a thought, or a life stage. It often carries a subtle emotional weight: implying fragility, urgency, or inevitability.

This word is commonly used to describe sounds (e.g., a short, sharp bark), physical movements (a quick, jerky gesture), mental states (a fleeting thought), or abstract phenomena (a brief period of peace). It’s more literary and formal than everyday synonyms like 短 (duǎn) alone, and appears frequently in descriptive writing, poetry, and psychological or philosophical contexts—not in casual speech.