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.

---

dearth British  

/ dɜːθ /

noun

1. an inadequate amount, esp of food; scarcity

---

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

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

See Examples For:

dearth dearths

In a district with the highest poverty rate in the city, residents are concerned about issues including illegal dumping, public safety, a dearth of grocery stores and a sense of being neglected by City Hall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Producers are dealing with depleting reserves and a dearth of sweet spots in the contiguous U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

Among survivors, I encountered palpable frustration at the lack of resolution, dearth of attention from law enforcement, and the ease with which the bloodshed left the headlines.

From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026

What’s more, a dearth of available jobs has made people more willing to take jobs they would have turned down in the past.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026

“We have numerous sharpshooters, but rather a dearth of camera crews. Therefore, we’ve handpicked the eight of you to be what we call our ‘Star Squad.’

From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins

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

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 Darwin, Charles

The frequency of local dearths, and the diversity and fluctuation of prices, were thus extreme.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 4 "Coquelin" to "Costume" by Various

There appeared one of those dearths not unusual in Hindostan; the population of the famished province cried out for rice; the stores of which, diminished by nature, had for months mysteriously disappeared.

From Sybil, or the Two Nations by Disraeli, Benjamin, Earl of Beaconsfield

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 Smith, Adam

Related Words

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