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

The hostilities began as a month-long student movement over school conditions and teacher shortages in working-class suburbs before broadening into a larger protest movement against inequality, public spending cuts and the rising cost of living. — Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Amid a nationwide nursing shortage, the hospitals are paying overtime to nurses in order to fill shifts, officials said. — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Musk has repeatedly treated the sports car as a lower priority than Tesla’s other projects, while also blaming supply chain shortages for earlier delays. — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026

Attacks on oil refineries have led to widespread fuel shortages, while strikes on warehouses operated by Russia’s largest online retailers, Wildberries and Ozon, have caused chaos for micro-entrepreneurs who rely on their networks. — Zahra Ullah, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 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