shortfall

/ˌʃɔrtˈfɔl/

/ˈʃɔtfɔl/

Other forms: shortfalls

If there's not enough of something, there's a shortfall. You expected to have plenty of Halloween candy, but a shortfall of Skittles has you running to the store to buy more.

When an available quantity doesn't meet your needs, or there's a deficiency of something you want, you've got a shortfall. You might dump out your piggybank and discover a shortfall of cash, or start making a soufflé but find an egg shortfall when you open the fridge. This word comes from the idea of a supply that falls short of expectations.

Definitions of shortfall

1. noun

   the property of being an amount by which something is less than expected or required
   synonyms: deficit, shortage

   types:

   oxygen deficit

   temporary oxygen shortage in cells resulting from strenuous exercise

   type of:

   deficiency, inadequacy, insufficiency

   lack of an adequate quantity or number