shy of (something)

having less of something than is needed or expected.

The bill was four votes shy of a majority.

He was a large man, just shy of six feet tall.

Related vocabulary: short of something

• have bags under eyes
• have bags under your eyes
• have bats in the belfry
• have beady eye on
• have beady eye on someone
• have beady eye on something
• have been around
• have been around a bit
• have been in the wars
• have big ears
• have bigger fish to fry
• have blinders on
• have blood on hands
• have blood on your hands
• have both feet on the ground
• have burning a hole in pocket
• have burning a hole in your pocket
• have butterflies
• have butterflies in stomach
• have butterflies in your stomach
• have by the balls
• have by the short and curlies
• have cake and eat it
• have cake and eat it too
• have carte blanche