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

Example Sentences

A dearth of private-equity portfolio company sales has increased the need for external financing, say people who work on these deals.

From The Wall Street Journal

A dearth of serious reporting contributed to the public being ill-informed.

From Salon

The authorities have said a dearth of surveillance footage has hampered the investigation.

From The Wall Street Journal

Tuttle notes that a big constraint for AI expansion is not access to enough chips, but a relative dearth of power.

From MarketWatch

Amid a dearth of official employment data, a report on private payrolls showed companies shed a larger-than-expected 32,000 jobs last month, fueling hopes that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next week.

From Barron's

Related Words

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