TOP

Definition of shortage noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

shortage

noun
 
/ˈʃɔːtɪdʒ/
 
/ˈʃɔːrtɪdʒ/
[countable, uncountable]
jump to other results
  1. a situation when there is not enough of the people or things that are needed
    • food/housing/water shortages
    • a shortage of funds
    • There is no shortage of (= there are plenty of) things to do in the town.
    Extra Examples
    • Industry is facing a serious labour shortage.
    • Lives are being put at risk because of staff shortages.
    • The energy shortages were exacerbated by the severe winter.
    • The recent heavy rains have helped to ease the water shortage.
    • Their economy continued to suffer shortages in raw materials.
    • a desperate shortage of food
    • a looming housing shortage in the city
    • a shortage of organ donors
    • the current acute shortage of teachers
    • the world shortage of coffee
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • acute
    • chronic
    • critical
    verb + shortage
    • cause
    • create
    • lead to
    shortage + verb
    • occur
    • cause something
    • lead to something
    preposition
    • because of a/​the shortage
    • due to a/​the shortage
    • shortage in
    See full entry
See shortage in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee shortage in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
dizzy
adjective
 
 
From the Topic
Health problems
C1
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day