dearth
Americannoun
-
an inadequate supply; scarcity; lack.
There is a dearth of good engineers.
- Synonyms:
- insufficiency, paucity, want, shortage
- Antonyms:
- surplus, sufficiency, plenty, abundance
-
scarcity and dearness of food; famine.
noun
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet there’s still a dearth of accurate information about the damage already done to the energy infrastructure of the Middle East, as well as what safety measures may take hold going forward, Gordon noted.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026
She now leads the endometriosis service for the Northern Care Alliance and said there was a "dearth of training" and therefore problem "identifying and diagnosing" the disease.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
Finding their conversations therapeutic—and perceiving a dearth of literature on mistakes—they have written “From Mistakes to Meaning.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026
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 • Feb. 20, 2026
The rock, exhibiting a dearth of holds and coated with six inches of crumbly rime, did not look promising, but just left of the main prow was a shallow comer glazed with frozen meltwater.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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.
