dearthy

/ˈdɜː.θi/

//ˈdɜː.θi// adj

"dearthy" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dearthy” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Marked by dearth; exhibiting scarcity, paucity, or lack.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dearthy · dearthy · English

dearthy · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "D" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for dearthy
PropertyValue
Headworddearthy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈdɜː.θi/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “dearthy” in English

dearthysits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dearthy is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈdɜː.θi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Marked by dearth; exhibiting scarcity, paucity, or lack.".

Zero misspellings are on record for dearthy in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dearth + -y. The correct English form is dearthy, spelled D-E-A-R-T-H-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Marked by dearth; exhibiting scarcity, paucity, or lack.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how dearthy appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. […] the natural has become the artificial; the noble and desirable, the dearthy and uninteresting; the simple the complex; the intelligible the unintelligible.
  2. In such a day as this, many a “little sanctuary” or worshipping knot of God's people (Ezek.11.16) may find the loved and deeply experienced Luther calculated, though dead, still to speak to their souls, through this his grand Testimony, more profitably, than many, or perhaps any, ministers they may be able to procure, in this dreary and dearthy last half…

Etymology

From dearth + -y.

Antonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "dearthy"?
"dearthy" is spelled D-E-A-R-T-H-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɜː.θi/.
What does "dearthy" mean?
As an adjective, "dearthy" means: Marked by dearth; exhibiting scarcity, paucity, or lack.
How do you pronounce "dearthy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dearthy" is /ˈdɜː.θi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "dearthy"?
From dearth + -y. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list