Dearth

Pronunciation: /dɜːrθ/

Definitions of dearth

noun a scarcity or lack of something

Example Sentences

A1 There is a dearth of food in the village.

A2 The dearth of resources made it difficult to complete the project.

B1 The dearth of job opportunities in the area led many people to move away.

B2 The dearth of information on the topic made it challenging to write a comprehensive report.

C1 The dearth of qualified candidates for the position forced the company to reevaluate their hiring process.

C2 The dearth of funding for the research project jeopardized its chances of success.

Examples of dearth in a Sentence

formal The company faced a dearth of qualified candidates for the job opening.

informal There's a dearth of good movies playing at the theater right now.

slang I'm starving, there's a dearth of snacks in the pantry.

figurative His heart ached from the dearth of love in his life.

Grammatical Forms of dearth

• plural: dearths
• comparative: dearer
• superlative: dearest
• present tense: dearth
• future tense: will dearth
• perfect tense: has dearthed
• continuous tense: is dearthing
• singular: dearth
• positive degree: dearth
• infinitive: to dearth
• gerund: dearthing
• participle: dearthed

Origin and Evolution of dearth

First Known Use: 1200 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'dearth' originated from Middle English, derived from the Old English word 'deore', meaning 'precious' or 'scarce'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'dearth' shifted from 'precious' to 'scarce' or 'lacking'. It is now commonly used to describe a scarcity or shortage of something.