dearth

American  

[durth] / dɜrθ /

noun

dearths plural

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dearths
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dearth

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

Explanation

If there is a dearth of something, there is not enough of it. A dearth of cupcakes is unfortunate, but a dearth of nutritious food is a serious problem. Dearth is an Old English noun formed from the adjective deore, "precious, costly," and the noun-forming suffix -th. Though the relationship of dearth meaning "lack, insufficient amount" to the adjective dear is not so obvious, it is still easy to imagine that something precious is probably also in short supply. Dearth is used almost exclusively in the phrase "a dearth of."

Example Sentences

Among survivors, I encountered palpable frustration at the lack of resolution, dearth of attention from law enforcement, and the ease with which the bloodshed left the headlines.

From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026

What’s more, a dearth of available jobs has made people more willing to take jobs they would have turned down in the past.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 24, 2026

But people often confuse the homelessness crisis and the behavioral health system crisis because these two crises converge—a dearth of affordable housing, and a lack of residential and inpatient treatment options.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Still, the dearth of data in the race makes it hard to test just how close things might be.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 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

Related Words

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