shortagenoun [ C ]
uk/ˈʃɔː.tɪdʒ/us/ˈʃɔːr.t̬ɪdʒ/B2 a situation in which there is not enough of something:
There's a shortage of food and shelter in the refugee camps.
The long hot summer has led to serious water shortages.
More examples
- The government's programme to grow cash crops for export is a double-edged sword because it has created a local food shortage.
- There's a shortage of cheap housing in the region.
- Schools nationwide are experiencing a shortage of teachers.
- There's a shortage of cheap accommodation .
- The government admitted that there was a petrol shortage, but warned people against panic buying.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Lacking things
- bankrupt
- bankruptcy
- be hard up (for sth) idiom
- bereft
- catch
- cry out for sth
- demand
- hole
- lack
- lacking
- need
- need sth like you need a hole in the head idiom
- needful
- short
- take
- the cupboard is bare idiom
- the UN
- unsatisfied
- vacuum
- want
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Scarce, inadequate and not enough