dearth

[durth]

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.

dearth

/ dɜːθ /

noun

1. an inadequate amount, esp of food; scarcity

Word History and Origins

Origin of dearth¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dearth¹

C13: derthe , from dēr _dear

Example Sentences

Fed officials, including Fed Chair Jerome Powell, economists, and investors have repeatedly lamented in recent months the dearth of official economic data used to make policy decisions.

Read more on Barron's

Even as employers complain about a dearth of qualified workers, a growing college-educated proletariat can’t find jobs they want to work.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s hard to know what is in store for the jobs market in the short to medium term, given the prolonged government shutdown and dearth of economic data as a result.

Read more on MarketWatch

All pretty good options, considering the dearth of options overall.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Mr. DeSantis isn’t wrong to worry about the dearth of American math and science students, but educated foreigners who come here to work and build a life aren’t the problem.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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

When To Use

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.