Definition

Noun A very brief and dismissive handling or rejection of something, often done without proper consideration or sympathy. It implies a curt, almost impatient, disposal of a matter.

Usage

This noun phrase is used to describe the act of dealing with something (like a request, proposal, or person) in a rapid, superficial, and unsympathetic manner. It emphasizes a lack of thoroughness and courtesy.

Examples

• The committee gave his proposal summary treatment, rejecting it without even reading the full document.
• Her complaints received summary treatment from the manager, who dismissed them in under a minute.
• The complex issue was given summary treatment in the news report, reducing it to a simple soundbite.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase often carries a critical tone, suggesting the action was unjustly hasty or disrespectful.
• It is frequently used in formal or literary contexts to describe bureaucratic, judicial, or editorial dismissiveness.

Variants and Related Words

• Short shrift: A near-synonymous idiom meaning curt and dismissive treatment. ("They gave my idea short shrift.")
• Perfunctory (adj): Carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection. ("A perfunctory inspection")
• Cursory (adj): Hasty and therefore not thorough or detailed. ("A cursory glance")
• Dismissal (n): The act of treating something as unworthy of consideration.

Synonyms

• Dismissive treatment
• Curt dismissal
• Perfunctory handling
• Brush-off (informal)

Idioms

• To give short shrift: To deal with or dismiss someone or something very quickly and without sympathy. This is the most common idiomatic expression related to "summary treatment."
  • The judge gave the defendant's excuses short shrift.

Notes

"Summary treatment" strongly implies a rejection or negative outcome. It is not used for describing something that is merely concise or efficient in a positive sense.

Noun

1. a brief and unsympathetic rejection
   • they made short shrift of my request