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Where does the word dearth come from?
Dearth has, in one form or another, been used to refer to scarcity since at least the 13th century, when it often referred specifically to the plague of famine (as in “a time of dearth”), whether brought on by an insidious crop disease or by invaders. The word traces back to the Old English adjective dēore, meaning “dear” (dēore is also the ancestor of dear, which also once meant “scarce,” though that sense is now obsolete). That notion of dearness or importance endures in dearth, which implies the absence or scarcity of not just any old thing, but of something one wants or needs. A dearth of mauls, for example, would be the bane of a woodcutter’s existence.
Examples of dearth in a Sentence
Julie Bosman, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2006
… Earnhardt has recently hinted that a company-wide dearth of talent is the core reason his Chevy simply isn't as fast in 2005 as it's been in the past.
—Lars Anderson, Sports Illustrated, 11 Apr. 2006
AirNet, which hauls bank checks and other time-critical freight, used to require that its pilots have at least 1,200 hours of flight experience. Then, faced with a dearth of experienced applicants, it dropped the requirement to 500 hours. Now, it has no minimum.
—Scott McCartney, Wall Street Journal, 10 Aug. 2000
there was a dearth of usable firewood at the campsite
the dearth of salesclerks at the shoe store annoyed us
Robert B. Tucker, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
There’s no dearth of evil Imperial thugs in Andor — however, one character who seems to exist in a complicated moral gray is Lonni Jung (Robert Emms), a fellow ISB officer who attends Partagaz’s closed-door briefings alongside Dedra but relays the Empire’s plans to Luthen in secret.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
Ever the entomologist, Tallamy noticed a dearth of insects and birds on his property and wondered why, which started his investigation into the native plants that once dominated his land.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
In a statement provided by her attorney to THR, Smith denied the claims of abuse, arduous working hours and dearth of appropriate compensation and said that Rockelle had appeared in several accusers’ videos without payment or common labor protections.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dearth
Cite this Entry
“Dearth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dearth. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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