First Known Use: 13th century
Dictionary
dearth
noun \ˈdərth\
: the state or condition of not having enough of something
Full Definition of DEARTH
2
: an inadequate supply : lack <a dearth of evidence>
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Examples of DEARTH
- 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
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Origin of DEARTH
Middle English derthe, from Old English *dierth, from dēore dear
Related to DEARTH
- Synonyms
- crunch, deficiency, deficit, drought (also drouth), failure, famine, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency, lack, lacuna, paucity, pinch, poverty, scantiness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, undersupply, want
DEARTH Defined for Kids
dearth
noun \ˈdərth\
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