Synonyms of paucity

paucity

noun

ˈpȯ-sə-tē 

as in shortage

a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number

a paucity of useful answers to the problem of traffic congestion at rush hour

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shortage
• lack
• deficiency
• scarcity
• dearth
• absence
• deficit
• inadequacy
• insufficiency
• drought
• lacuna
• poverty
• famine
• scarceness
• scantiness
• crunch
• failure
• undersupply
• inadequateness
• omission
• pinch
• want
• necessity
• meagerness
• skimpiness
• privation
• poorness
• need

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abundance
• plenty
• adequacy
• wealth
• sufficiency
• amplitude
• plenitude
• opulence
• excess
• surplus
• overabundance
• surfeit
• copiousness
• oversupply
• bountifulness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of paucity

Several young goalkeepers had been bought by Premier League clubs the previous summer, leaving Newcastle feeling there was a paucity of options, though Hornicek’s all-round attributes caught the attention of Ross Wilson, their sporting director. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Despite their popularity, there remains a paucity of human clinical evidence to support their safety and efficacy. — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

And there’s a challenge in writing about Musk and South Africa, because of basically a paucity of sources. — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026

Broadwater and his lawyer had opted for a bench trial, hoping that a judge would see the paucity of evidence and wouldn’t be swayed by emotion. — Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026

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