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.
But analysts say the U.S. housing shortage of more than four million homes means new homes need to be built.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
Dell’s ability to wrestle successfully with the memory shortage was the primary reason Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring upgraded the stock to Equal Weight from Underweight.
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
There’s no shortage of broadcast, cable, digital and print reporting about former reality TV personality turned mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
"There has been a serious and ongoing failure of workforce planning, leading to a chronic shortage of clinical midwives."
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
After that there was no shortage of food and the cubs spent most of the time when they weren’t eating, sleeping off their huge meals.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
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.
