short ‧ age /ˈʃɔːtɪdʒ $ ˈʃɔːr-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ short , ↑ shortage , ↑ shortness , shorts, ↑ shorty ; verb : ↑ shorten , ↑ short ; adverb : ↑ short , ↑ shortly ; adjective : ↑ short ]
a situation in which there is not enough of something that people need SYN lack
shortage of
a shortage of skilled labour
There is no shortage of funds.
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COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + shortage
▪ a severe/serious shortage
There is a serious shortage of food in some areas.
▪ an acute shortage (=very bad)
They were suffering because of an acute shortage of doctors and nurses.
▪ a desperate/dire shortage (=very serious and worrying)
There is a desperate shortage of fresh water in the disaster area.
▪ a chronic shortage (=very bad and existing for a long time)
There is a chronic shortage of housing in rural areas.
▪ a growing shortage (=one that is increasing)
The United States is facing a growing shortage of information technology workers.
▪ a general shortage (=a shortage of lots of different kinds of things or people)
There was a general shortage of skilled workers.
▪ a national/world shortage
There is likely to be a world shortage of timber in the future.
▪ a water/food/housing etc shortage
The water shortage was reaching crisis proportions.
▪ a labour/manpower shortage (=a shortage of people to do work)
During the war, there was a severe labour shortage, so women began doing jobs they had never done before.
▪ a staff shortage (=a shortage of people to work at a particular business)
The company blamed staff shortages for the delays.
■ verbs
▪ create/cause a shortage
Poor harvests could cause food shortages in the winter.
▪ lead to/result in a shortage
The strike led to serious shortages of fuel in some areas.
▪ face a shortage (=be likely to suffer a shortage)
The refugees face desperate shortages of food and water.
▪ ease a shortage (=make it less serious)
Building more houses will ease the shortage of accommodation.