dearth

American  

[durth] / dɜrθ /

noun

1. an inadequate supply; scarcity; lack.

   There is a dearth of good engineers.

   Synonyms:

   insufficiency, paucity, want, shortage

   Antonyms:

   surplus, sufficiency, plenty, abundance

2. scarcity and dearness of food; famine.

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dearth British  

/ dɜːθ /

noun

1. an inadequate amount, esp of food; scarcity

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Usage

What does dearth mean? A dearth of something is a lack or scarcity of it. The word is especially used in serious situations in which there is a shortage of something important. It is usually followed by of and the thing that is lacking, as in a dearth of resources or a dearth of clean water. Much less commonly, dearth is used in a more specific way to refer to a scarcity of food—a famine. Example: The dearth of teachers has resulted in large class sizes.

Etymology

Origin of dearth

First recorded in 1200–50, dearth is from the Middle English word derthe. See dear ¹, -th ¹

Explanation

If there is a dearth of something, there is not enough of it. A dearth of cupcakes is unfortunate, but a dearth of nutritious food is a serious problem. Dearth is an Old English noun formed from the adjective deore, "precious, costly," and the noun-forming suffix -th. Though the relationship of dearth meaning "lack, insufficient amount" to the adjective dear is not so obvious, it is still easy to imagine that something precious is probably also in short supply. Dearth is used almost exclusively in the phrase "a dearth of."

Example Sentences

The discussion left Dearth nostalgic for a time when “we had people of different parties get together, go out to have a drink together. We don’t seem to have that anymore.”

From Seattle Times • Jun. 15, 2016

We have seven explanations for the Dearth of July.

From Time • Jul. 8, 2014

Dearth of a Salesman is believed to feature Judith Wyler, daughter of the Academy Award-winning film director William Wyler, and both films were co-written by Canadian screenwriter and author Mordecai Richler.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2013

He and his wife, Molly Dearth, both 32, were lounging in the electric guitar room, where Mr. Williams, who is a musician, was trying out a couple of instruments.

From New York Times • Nov. 11, 2012

Dearth is the parent and the tutor of thought, the desert is the harvest-field of wisdom.

From Lodges in the Wilderness by Scully, W. C. (William Charles)

Related Words

• absence
• deficiency
• inadequacy
• lack
• paucity
• shortage