He was a good six inches shorter than her, but that had never bothered him.

The door had stopped two inches short of closing.

Hm Well your on that side and it's half an inch too short isn't it?

It came three inches short of buckling across his chest.

He is a good four inches shorter than me.

SO since when has two inches short of six foot been regarded as "diminutive"?

He stood a few inches short of six feet and was built lean.

He is only about five feet high, but even so these trousers are about eight inches short of the ground.

He was a good six inches shorter than my father.

Maybe an inch or two shorter than me but probably twice as heavy.