SHORTAGE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for SHORTAGE?

Need another word that means the same as “shortage”? Find 18 synonyms and 30 related words for “shortage” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Shortage” are: dearth, famine, deficit, shortfall, scarcity, sparseness, sparsity, paucity, poverty, insufficiency, deficiency, inadequacy, lack, want, meagreness, scantiness, rarity, rareness

Shortage as a Noun

Definitions of "Shortage" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “shortage” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• The property of being an amount by which something is less than expected or required.
• An acute insufficiency.
• A state or situation in which something needed cannot be obtained in sufficient amounts.

Synonyms of "Shortage" as a noun (18 Words)

dearth	A situation where food is in short supply. There is a dearth of evidence.
deficiency	The amount by which something, especially revenue, falls short; a deficit. Water is the critical deficiency in desert regions.
deficit	A deficiency or failing, especially in a neurological or psychological function. Deficits in speech comprehension.
famine	An acute insufficiency. The famine of 1921 2.
inadequacy	Lack of an adequate quantity or number. Juvenile offenses often reflect an inadequacy in the parents.
insufficiency	Inability of a bodily part or organ to function normally. Insufficiency of adequate housing.
lack	The state of needing something that is absent or unavailable. There is a lack of parking space in the town.
meagreness	The quality of being meager. Job satisfaction eclipses the meagreness of income.
paucity	An insufficient quantity or number. A paucity of information.
poverty	The state of being extremely poor. Thousands of families are living in abject poverty.
rareness	Noteworthy scarcity.
rarity	A rarified quality. To take the morning off was a rarity.
scantiness	The quality of being small or insufficient in quantity or amount. Problems because of the scantiness of reliable information.
scarcity	A small and inadequate amount. A time of scarcity.
shortfall	A deficit of something required or expected. They are facing an expected 10 billion shortfall in revenue.
sparseness	The property of being scanty or scattered; lacking denseness.
sparsity	The property of being scanty or scattered; lacking denseness.
want	A desire for something. I tried to supply his wants.

Usage Examples of "Shortage" as a noun

• A shortage of hard cash.
• The problems of land shortage in the countryside.
• Food shortages.

Associations of "Shortage" (30 Words)

cutback	A reduction in quantity or rate. Cutbacks in defence spending.
dearth	A scarcity or lack of something. There is a dearth of evidence.
defective	Imperfect or faulty. I returned the appliance because it was defective.
deficiency	The state of needing something that is absent or unavailable. A budget deficiency of 96 billion.
deficit	A deficiency or failing, especially in a neurological or psychological function. They have serious linguistic deficits.
drought	A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. He ended a five game goal drought.
dryness	Lack of interest, excitement, or embellishment; dullness. A certain dryness of style.
famine	Extreme scarcity of food. The famine of 1921 2.
flaw	Add a flaw or blemish to make imperfect or defective. He had his flaws but he was great nonetheless.
hunger	Feel or suffer hunger. When he had fasted forty days and forty nights he afterwards hungered.
inaction	The state of being inactive. Future generations will condemn us for inaction.
inadequacy	The state or quality of being inadequate; lack of the quantity or quality required. The inadequacy of unemployment benefits.
indigence	A state of extreme poverty; destitution. He did valuable work towards the relief of indigence.
insufficiency	The inability of an organ to perform its normal function. Renal insufficiency.
insufficient	Not enough; inadequate. There was insufficient evidence to convict him.
jaundice	Affect with or as if with jaundice. Jealousy had jaundiced his judgment.
lack	Be without. There is no lack of entertainment aboard ship.
lacking	Deficient or inadequate. The students are not lacking in intellectual ability.
leukocyte	Blood cells that engulf and digest bacteria and fungi; an important part of the body’s defense system.
minus	Involving disadvantage or harm. Minus or negative factors.
need	Have or feel a need for. Need I say more.
needy	Needy people collectively. Needy and elderly people.
paucity	An insufficient quantity or number. A paucity of information.
scant	Less than the correct or legal or full amount often deliberately so. He does not scant his attention to the later writings.
scarcity	A small and inadequate amount. A time of scarcity.
shortcoming	A fault or failure to meet a certain standard, typically in a person’s character, a plan, or a system. He is so forthright about his shortcomings it s hard to chastise him.
shortfall	A deficit of something required or expected. They are facing an expected 10 billion shortfall in revenue.
starve	Have a craving, appetite, or great desire for. The Royalists were starved out after eleven days.
vitamin	A pill containing a specified amount of a particular vitamin or vitamins taken as a dietary supplement. Most people can get all the vitamins they need from a healthy diet.
wanting	Nonexistent. Mandibles are wanting in many of these insects.