lack

American  

[lak] / læk /

noun

1. an absence or inadequate amount of something needed, desirable, or customary.

   We had to severely limit our holiday gift shopping due to lack of funds.

   Lack of skill is the main reason he didn’t get the job.

   Synonyms:

   need, want, insufficiency, deficit, paucity, scarcity, dearth

   Antonyms:

   surplus

2. something missing or needed.

   After he left, they really felt the lack.

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verb (used with object)

lacks, present (3rd person singular) lacked, past participle, past lacking present participle

1. to be without or deficient in.

   She wants to become an actor, but unfortunately she lacks ability.

   Many of the villagers lacked even the basic necessities of life.

   Synonyms:

   need, want

2. to fall short of a target or requirement by (a particular amount).

   He lacks three votes to win.

verb (used without object)

lacks, present (3rd person singular) lacked, past participle, past lacking present participle

1. to be absent or missing, as something needed or desirable.

   Three votes are lacking to make a majority.

verb phrase

1. lack in to be short of or deficient in.

   What he lacks in brains, he makes up for in brawn.

lack British  

/ læk /

noun

1. an insufficiency, shortage, or absence of something required or desired

2. something that is required but is absent or in short supply

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verb

1. to be deficient (in) or have need (of)

   to lack purpose

Usage

What are other ways to say lack? To lack something is to be without or deficient in it. How does lack compare to synonyms want, need, and require? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• lacking
  present
• lacked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• lack
  simple
• lacks
  simple
• have lacked
  perfect
• has lacked
  perfect
• am lacking
  progressive
• are lacking
  progressive
• is lacking
  progressive
• have been lacking
  perfect progressive
• has been lacking
  perfect progressive

Past

• lacked
  simple
• had lacked
  perfect
• was lacking
  progressive
• were lacking
  progressive
• had been lacking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will lack
  simple
• will have lacked
  perfect
• will be lacking
  progressive
• will have been lacking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of lack

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English lak; cognate with Middle Low German lak, Middle Dutch lac “deficiency”; akin to Old Norse lakr “deficient”

Explanation

If you lack something, you need or want something that's missing. When there's a lack of food, people starve. There are a lot of things lacking in the world. If you have no video games, then you're lacking them. People who are thirsty and starving lack food and water. Many people lack money and health care. A lack of something is the opposite of an abundance of something. If you have plenty of books, then you don't lack them — though you may lack enough time to read them all.

Example Sentences

Lack of attention paid to the location of the trust and the beneficiaries could, in a worst-case scenario, even lead to double taxation.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

Lack of action on childcare is already costing the American economy $172 billion per year, according to data from the business-leader group ReadyNation.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

Lack of planning and misconceptions around a new $6,000 senior tax deduction could lead to missed tax savings.

From Barron's • Apr. 25, 2026

Lack of space at headquarters is a recurring complaint.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

Lack of money always led to fights, that he knew.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

Related Words

• absence
• dearth
• inadequacy
• loss
• paucity
• poverty
• reduction
• scarcity
• shortage
• shortcoming
• shortfall