noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of shortage
Compare meaning
How does shortage compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A shortage is a lack of something, especially a severe lack. A drought is a shortage of water. When there's a shortage, there's not enough of something. If you don't have enough money to pay your bills, you have a shortage of money. A bad football team may have a shortage of good players. This kind of shortage is like a deficit or shortfall. A shortage can also be a severe dearth of something, like a famine, which is a lack of food. If there's a drought because of little rainfall, that's a serious shortage.
Vocabulary lists containing shortage
World War I
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
World War II
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Paltry Parlance: Synonyms for "Few"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It warned that the reorganisation may lead to a shortage in skilled workers in certain roles, resulting in a loss of productivity that could impact its earnings.
From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026
Burnham, he notes, will have the same challenge that faced Starmer: a shortage of funds, a slow-growing economy and the fiscal pressures of an aging society.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 20, 2026
Micron has seen shares surge roughly 750% in the past 12 months amid a shortage of memory chips driven by AI.
From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026
But there is little policymakers can do to quickly address the memory-chip shortage behind Apple’s decision to raise prices.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
Years after the end of the war, the shortage of adequate housing for the area’s Negro residents was still the reality.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
