Definition of dearth
2
: an inadequate supply : lack
- a dearth of evidence
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Examples of dearth in a Sentence
- It may also be a respite for booksellers, who have been grumbling for several years about sluggish sales and a dearth of dependable blockbuster fiction. —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
Recent Examples of dearth from the Web
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How will coach Mike Babcock’s dearth of right-shot defensemen handle an elite left wing like Brad Marchand?
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Coupled with their dire need of a speed threat to replace receiver Sammy Watkins and a dearth of exciting receiver prospects in this year’s draft class, the Rams didn’t have much clout here.
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Unlike past generations, the new scientists appear undeterred by the field's lack of funding, dearth of data and hostile political climate.
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Unlike past generations, the new scientists appear undeterred by the field’s lack of funding, dearth of data and hostile political climate.
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That puzzle is fractured by tens of thousands of potholes, as well as a dearth of sidewalks and streetlights in many neighborhoods.
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There just aren’t that many female cinematographers, the refrain goes, but rarely do the underlying reasons for that dearth receive attention.
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At Pacific Fertility Center in San Francisco, a lab director noticed a dearth of liquid nitrogen during his routine day’s-end check.
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In 2016, the opportunity Nix saw was in Republican politics, where a dearth of political-tech players left an opening.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dearth.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Where Does the Word dearth Come From?
The facts about the history of the word dearth are quite simple: the word derives from the Middle English form "derthe," which has the same meaning as our modern term. That Middle English form is assumed to have developed from an Old English form that was probably spelled "dierth" and was related to "dēore," the Old English form that gave us the word dear. ("Dear" also once meant "scarce," but that sense of the word is now obsolete.) Some form of "dearth" has been used to describe things that are in short supply since at least the 13th century, when it often referred to a shortage of food.
Origin and Etymology of dearth
Middle English derthe, from Old English *dierth, from dēore dear
NEW! Time Traveler
First Known Use: 13th century
in the meaning defined at sense 1
See Words from the same yeardearth Synonyms
Antonyms
Near Antonyms
abundance, amplitude, bounty, plenitude, plenteousness, plentifulness, plentitude, plenty, wealth;
excess, overabundance, oversupply, superabundance, surfeit, surplus;
bushel, deal, gobs, heap, loads, lot, mass, mountain, much, oodles, peck, pile, pot, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, volume, wad;
Related Words
deficiency, deficit, failure, famine, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency, meagerness, paucity, poverty, scantiness, scantness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, skimpiness, undersupply;
DEARTH Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of dearth for English Language Learners
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: the state or condition of not having enough of something
DEARTH Defined for Kids
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See words that rhyme with dearth Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dearth Spanish Central: Translation of dearth Nglish: Translation of dearth for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dearth for Arabic speakers
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