understaffed

American  

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

adjective

1. having an insufficient number of personnel.

   The hospital is understaffed.

---

understaffed British  

/ ˌʌndəˈstɑːft /

adjective

1. not having enough staff

   her department is understaffed

---

Etymology

Origin of understaffed

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

Example Sentences

But in many indigenous settlements on the outskirts, roads are potholed, classrooms overcrowded, clinics understaffed, electricity unreliable and residents lack secure land titles.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Across the United States, major airports have been inundated by flight disruptions, security lines spilling out of terminals, air traffic control outages, and overworked and understaffed employees struggling to keep it all running.

From Slate • Mar. 24, 2026

He said the county has made some strides in the right direction, including hiring more people and adding positions to a severely understaffed department, but it’s not enough.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026

Alternatively, Xi could choose to leave the military leadership understaffed until the party’s next twice-a-decade congress in 2027.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

I turned up at the busiest hour in the afternoon, when I knew they’d be understaffed, and sure enough, the manager was bagging groceries when I found him.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover