shortage

noun

short·​age ˈshȯr-tij 

: lack, deficit

Synonyms of shortage

• lack
• deficiency
• scarcity

Examples of shortage in a Sentence

there was a troubling shortage of supplies for the troops overseas this year

Recent Examples on the Web

Today’s teens have no shortage of movies and TV shows romanticizing what malls were like in their parents’ youth. —Audrey Pachuta, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2026

These changes to student loan borrowing are anticipated to reduce the nursing pipeline and further increase acuity in nursing shortages. —Nicholas A. Giordano, STAT, 8 May 2026

That this situation has been so stable for weeks belies the sky-is-falling behind-the-scenes reports of unforeseen demand, component shortages, and falling profit margins that have circulated about the Neo in recent weeks. —ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Micron Technology shares caught fire this week amid a global shortage of memory chips, with momentum driving the stock on surging enthusiasm across the semiconductor sector. —Tobias Burns, CNBC, 8 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing shortage

• no shortage of

Rhymes for shortage

• reportage

Kids Definition

shortage

noun

short·​age ˈshȯrt-ij 

: a lack in the amount needed : deficit

a shortage of cash

a gasoline shortage