understaffed

American  

[uhn-der-staft, -stahft] / ˌʌn dərˈstæft, -ˈstɑft /

adjective

1. having an insufficient number of personnel.

   The hospital is understaffed.

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understaffed British  

/ ˌʌndəˈstɑːft /

adjective

1. not having enough staff

   her department is understaffed

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Etymology

Origin of understaffed

First recorded in 1890–95; under- + staff ¹ + -ed ³

Explanation

When a business doesn't have quite enough employees, it is understaffed. Be patient with your server if the restaurant is understaffed — they're probably doing the work of several people! Your lemonade stand is understaffed if there aren't enough workers to squeeze lemons, fill cups, and give customers change. And a school is understaffed if teachers are out sick and no substitutes are available to fill in. The word comes from the verb staff, "to provide with a staff of assistants," and the earlier noun, which meant "group of military officers" prior to "group of workers."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

understaffed

After her move, she wrote a letter complaining about her treatment at the Newberry ward which she described as "understaffed".

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

At the time, the departures left the office understaffed amid a glut of habeas corpus petition cases from federal immigration detainees challenging their arrests during the surge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

The union representing crew members working on the live-action YouTube series said the workers are being overworked and that the production is understaffed.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2026

Nursing homes, by the industry’s own admission, are understaffed and face increasing challenges.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026

Furthermore, the Cambridge lab was understaffed and Kendrew was looking for someone to join him in his study of the protein myoglobin.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson