dearth

American  

[durth] / dɜrθ /

noun

• dearths
  plural

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dearths
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of dearth

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

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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

See Examples For:

dearth dearths

After the 2008 financial crisis, a dearth of new home construction made affordability a significant challenge for many people trying to break into homeownership.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

The dearth of new models is a direct hangover from the industry’s shift to EVs and its abrupt pullback.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The head of this year's jury, American actor-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, had questioned the dearth of women-directed films on the opening day, but she declined to discuss the issue further at a final press conference.

From Barron's ● Sep. 12, 2026

The government has put the dearth of milk in recent months down to drought, which has significantly reduced pasture and hampered production.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

The dearth of boughs and pine needles made it light and easy to carry.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

Old timber towns with shuttered mills, flood-soaked cities and rural areas left off high-speed broadband networks suffered dearths of economic opportunity, even as Puget Sound’s largest cities flourished with explosive tech growth.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 6, 2021

In attempting his salvation, by proffering advice to the "broken-hearted," he respectfully but firmly-131- declined; deliberately preferring old-bachelorship, with all its dearths, of which he seemed fully conscious.

From Social Life or, The Manners and Customs of Polite Society by Maud C. Cooke

No doubt in this case and in all others, many checks concur, and different checks under different circumstances; periodical dearths, depending on unfavourable seasons, being probably the most important of all.

From The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Vol. I by Charles Darwin

Both countries, accordingly, though subject occasionally to dearths, have been famous for their great fertility.

From An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

No doubt, in this case, and in all others, many checks concur, and different checks under different circumstances; periodical dearths, depending on unfavourable seasons, being probably the most important of all.

From The Descent of Man by Charles Darwin

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Related Words

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

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