Dearth

hard

durth

noun

Definition

A scarcity or lack of something

Examples

The dearth of qualified candidates prolonged the hiring process.
A dearth of rainfall led to severe crop failures.

Synonyms

scarcitypaucitydeficiencyshortage

Antonyms

abundancesurplusplethoraprofusion

Categories

GRE Tip

Dearth is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "scarcity" or "paucity" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "abundance".

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