Meaning & use
shortage
A situation in which there is not enough of something that is needed.
See it in a sentence
The drought caused a severe water shortage across the region.
Hospitals reported a shortage of nurses during the busy flu season.
A note on using this word
Shortage is typically followed by "of," as in "a shortage of supplies," specifying exactly what is lacking.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shortage”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.