Meaning
匮乏 describes a state of being insufficient, lacking, or in short supply. It emphasizes scarcity or deficiency of resources, knowledge, experience, or other necessities. The word carries a somewhat formal tone and is commonly used in written Chinese or serious discussions about economic, social, or personal inadequacies.
Usage
匮乏 is more formal than everyday words like 缺少 and often appears in written contexts, news reports, or academic discussions. It can function as both an adjective (物资匮乏 'resources are scarce') and a verb (匮乏资金 'to lack funding'). The word emphasizes the severity of the shortage rather than just a simple absence.
Examples
- 01这个地区水资源严重匮乏。.This region severely lacks water resources.
- 02由于经验匮乏，他在工作中遇到了很多困难。, .Due to lack of experience, he encountered many difficulties at work.
Characters
Common collocations
- 资源匮乏lack of resources
- 物资匮乏shortage of materials/supplies
- 经验匮乏lacking in experience
- 精神匮乏spiritual emptiness
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters 匮 and 乏 independently convey meanings of deficiency and scarcity. Their combination creates an emphatic expression of shortage, with 匮 suggesting depletion from a container (匚 radical relates to boxes/containers) and 乏 originally depicting a person fallen down from exhaustion.