noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of shortage
Compare meaning
How does shortage compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A shortage is a lack of something, especially a severe lack. A drought is a shortage of water. When there's a shortage, there's not enough of something. If you don't have enough money to pay your bills, you have a shortage of money. A bad football team may have a shortage of good players. This kind of shortage is like a deficit or shortfall. A shortage can also be a severe dearth of something, like a famine, which is a lack of food. If there's a drought because of little rainfall, that's a serious shortage.
Vocabulary lists containing shortage
World War I
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
World War II
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Paltry Parlance: Synonyms for "Few"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It’s by far the biggest anticipated shortage among major job categories.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
"We need immigration to soften enough that housing has a chance to catch up," he said, while stressing the housing shortage was not caused by migrants.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce projects U.S. businesses will face a shortage of 2.9 million managers in 2032.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Four and a half years into Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it is facing a desperate manpower shortage.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
As we drive down my street, I begin to think I may have totally underestimated the effect of the water shortage on this community.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Central Command, told CBS newsmagazine “60 Minutes” this week that he isn’t concerned at all about shortages of interceptors and that the military is ready for any contingency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
With hundreds of thousands of men drafted to fight, labour shortages are also hitting the sector.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
“Memory-chip shortages and price inflation remain a critical lever behind industry growth upside,” Arya wrote, adding that he also sees “a brighter outlook” for makers of traditional and AI servers.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Unison senior vice president Debbie Rowden said the plans would drive away international staff despite shortages in critical roles, including in the care sector, where the qualification period would treble.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Along with severe shortages of food and almost everything else, the shocking losses at Verdun and the Somme—a million and a half German soldiers dead and wounded—had shaken Germany’s morale.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
