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

A dearth of asset sales by buyout firms in recent years gave a boost to the secondary market for private-equity fund stakes as investors looked for alternative ways to cash out of their investments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

There was no dearth of viewing material in Harris Norton’s house.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

Yet there’s still a dearth of accurate information about the damage already done to the energy infrastructure of the Middle East, as well as what safety measures may take hold going forward, Gordon noted.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

She now leads the endometriosis service for the Northern Care Alliance and said there was a "dearth of training" and therefore problem "identifying and diagnosing" the disease.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

There is no dearth of men who understand these things, but these are not the men who order the wholesale drenching of the landscape with chemicals.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

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