dearth

American  

[durth] / dɜrθ /

noun

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.

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dearth British  

/ dɜːθ /

noun

1. an inadequate amount, esp of food; scarcity

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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.

Etymology

Origin of dearth

First recorded in 1200–50, dearth is from the Middle English word derthe. See dear ¹, -th ¹

Example Sentences

Artificial intelligence could change the world but the dearth of women in the booming sector will undermine pledges for inclusive technology, top computer scientist Wendy Hall told AFP on Friday.

From Barron's

The oil dearth also threatens to deal a fatal blow to tourism, the island's second source of foreign income after doctors.

From Barron's

The dearth of public transport is another nail in the coffin of the sputtering economy.

From Barron's

A dearth of reliable data makes it hard to test theories or to reach definitive conclusions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Given the dearth of savings I mentioned earlier in this column, this one thing could be a game-changer.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

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