1
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there was a dearth of usable firewood at the campsite
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lack
the fact or state of being absent
the dearth of salesclerks at the shoe store annoyed us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dearth
Malaysian glove manufacturers say a dearth of a petroleum byproduct needed to make rubber latex is threatening global supplies of medical gloves.
—
Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
Lori listens in dumbfounded silence, keeping her eyes on the prize, and trying not to roll them when Julian makes a comment about the dearth of great women artists—the kind of remark that earned him a close brush with cancellation in the past.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
If the eventual outcome hadn’t been so tragic, and if one of the people involved hadn’t been an absolute imbecile, and if there hadn’t been a dearth of actual romance, their meeting would have made for good romantic fiction.
—Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
Byfield, whose evident lack of offensive confidence and dearth of tangible production had been concerns for most of the season, has turned a corner.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dearth
Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026
Lori listens in dumbfounded silence, keeping her eyes on the prize, and trying not to roll them when Julian makes a comment about the dearth of great women artists—the kind of remark that earned him a close brush with cancellation in the past.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2026
If the eventual outcome hadn’t been so tragic, and if one of the people involved hadn’t been an absolute imbecile, and if there hadn’t been a dearth of actual romance, their meeting would have made for good romantic fiction.
—Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
Byfield, whose evident lack of offensive confidence and dearth of tangible production had been concerns for most of the season, has turned a corner.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dearth
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dearth
Noun
-
Police began cracking down Saturday, using pepper spray to help clear protesters at the Whitegate refinery in County Cork and vowing to remove others who were endangering critical infrastructure and public safety because gas shortages could prevent response by emergency services.—
Brian Melley,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2026
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The International Energy Agency, S&P Global, BloombergNEF, Wood Mackenzie, and Goldman Sachs have all corroborated Grantham’s point, with the IEA projecting shortages in copper and lithium within a decade.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Last year there were a lack of women’s matches during the night sessions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Investigators believe that Obeidin fell asleep as a result of the lack of sleep from the fraternity activities.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Lakers' injury woes remain dire, but Marcus Smart had six points and seven assists against Phoenix in his return from a nine-game injury absence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Braves manager Walt Weiss slotted Dubón in center not only because of Harris’ absence, but also because outfielder Eli White is dealing with plantar fasciitis and is day-to-day.—
Chad Bishop,
AJC.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dearth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dearth. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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