1 dearth | Definition of dearth
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

dearth

noun
\ ˈdərth How to pronounce dearth (audio) \

Definition of dearth

1 : scarcity that makes dear specifically : famine
2 : an inadequate supply : lack a dearth of evidence
Synonyms & Antonyms Where does the word dearth come from? More Example Sentences Learn More about dearth

Keep scrolling for more

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.

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
See More

Recent Examples on the Web

 But the $600 million Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit line, envisioned as a fast-moving alternative to the traffic on Highway 101, is struggling with a dearth of riders and sales tax revenue. — Taylor Kate Brown, SFChronicle.com, "Bay Briefing: A new day for Mission Bay," 26 Aug. 2019 Last season, with a dearth of talent and an aging secondary, the Raiders simply didn’t have the personnel to leave cornerbacks or safeties exposed one-on-one. — Jerry Mcdonald, The Mercury News, "Raiders’ D-coordinator Paul Guenther gets his blitz on," 18 Aug. 2019 Like the rest of Hong Kong, Yuen Long suffers from a dearth of affordable housing and soaring inequality. — Time, "'Whenever There’s Trouble He Rushes There.' Meet Legislator Roy Kwong, the God of Hong Kong Protests," 20 July 2019 Beyond the two finalists (and India, who lost to New Zealand in the semi-finals), there was a dearth of consistently good teams. — M.j., The Economist, "How England won the Cricket World Cup," 18 July 2019 After being traded to Cleveland this offseason, the three-time Pro Bowl selection need not worry about a dearth of downfield opportunities. — Michael Middlehurst-schwartz, USA TODAY, "Offensive fireworks: 5 NFL teams that will be explosive in 2019," 4 July 2019 Another is the relative dearth of black quarterbacks coaches and OCs. — Albert Breer, SI.com, "The Jets Got Their Man. What Now for GM Joe Douglas and Gang Green?," 17 June 2019 Goldberg’s comments seemed to rehash the age-old trope about the dearth of qualified women. — Stacy Perman, latimes.com, "No, Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was not misquoted in Nieman Lab," 6 June 2019 The dearth of English and Australian Test batsmen is probably a generational blip, akin to tennis’s lack of youngsters who can challenge Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. — M.j., The Economist, "The Ashes will feature the weakest pair of cricket teams in decades," 31 July 2019

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.

See More

First Known Use of dearth

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for dearth

Middle English derthe, from Old English *dierth, from dēore dear

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for dearth

dearth

noun
How to pronounce dearth (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of dearth

formal : the state or condition of not having enough of something

See the full definition for dearth in the English Language Learners Dictionary

dearth

noun
\ ˈdərth How to pronounce dearth (audio) \

Kids Definition of dearth

: scarcity, lack There was a dearth of news.

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on dearth

Rhyming Dictionary: 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

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!