noun
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Etymology
Origin of shortage
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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
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World War II
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Paltry Parlance: Synonyms for "Few"
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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.
See Examples For:
And they could keep rising for a few more years due to a persistent shortage of the building blocks of AI networks, said Shawn DuBravac, chief economist of the Global Electronics Association.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
Since mid‑July, Rijkswaterstaat, the national water management agency, has classified the situation as an "actual water shortage".
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
On the European stage, there has been no shortage of golden moments - but none will come close to this emotional full-circle moment.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
The lawmakers demanded that the VA disclose details about its shortage of mental health providers and the impact on veterans.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
Since the Germans had a shortage of powered aircraft, the boys built and piloted gliders.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Families have reported food shortages, problems with drinking water, broken showers and laundry facilities and growing psychological strain among the roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
The conditions have reportedly included poor sanitation, infrequent ports-of-call, broken plumbing, exhaustion and shortages of fresh food.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
He said he heard concerns about moldy showers, broken toilets, lack of hot water, lack of access to fresh produce and supply shortages.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
MS Now reported earlier this month that sailors aboard the Lincoln were facing tough conditions including shortages of food and toothpaste and soap.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The room was freezing, due to wartime fuel shortages.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
