lack

[ lak ]

/ læk /

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See synonyms for: lack / lacked / lacking / lacks on Thesaurus.com

noun

deficiency or absence of something needed, desirable, or customary: lack of money; lack of skill.

something missing or needed: After he left, they really felt the lack.

verb (used with object)

to be without or deficient in: to lack ability; to lack the necessities of life.

to fall short in respect of: He lacks three votes to win.

verb (used without object)

to be absent or missing, as something needed or desirable: Three votes are lacking to make a majority.

Verb Phrases

lack in, to be short of or deficient in: What he lacks in brains, he makes up for in brawn.

OTHER WORDS FOR lack

1 dearth, scarcity, paucity, deficit, insufficiency; want, need.

3 want, need.

See synonyms for lack on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR lack

1 surplus.

See antonyms for lack on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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”

Words nearby lack

Lachute, lacing, lacinia, laciniate, lac insect, lack, lackadaisical, lackaday, Lackawanna, lacker, lackey

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WHEN TO USE

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.

How to use lack in a sentence

This resulted in campaigns that were under-funded, chasing search volume that simply did not exist, and a general lack of evergreen brand paid search.
Case study: Schneider Electric’s digital transformation through centralized search|Evan Kent and Kimberly Dutcher|February 11, 2021|Search Engine Watch
The lack of games also gives more practice time to Jakub Vrana, who came off the covid-19 list Tuesday.
The Caps are dealing with an unexpected break. They hope to use it to recover and reset.|Samantha Pell|February 10, 2021|Washington Post
While one of his Republican rivals has spent 30 years in the legislature, and two others have personal fortunes that will allow them to self-fund, Doran touts his lack of experience and wealth as assets.
Former think tank leader joins race for Virginia governor|Laura Vozzella|February 10, 2021|Washington Post
Solutions exist, but they must be implementedTo address the internet gap, we believe that policymakers must identify lack of internet access as a barrier and protect against its effects.
One big hiccup in US efforts to distribute COVID-19 vaccines? Poor internet access.|By Tamra Burns Loeb, Et Al./The Conversation|February 10, 2021|Popular-Science

This isn’t because these geese chose to go there, but rather because they’re forced to occupy these areas, thanks to a lack of habitat and booming human populations.
Four wild animals that are thriving in cities|By Ryan Chelius/Outdoor Life|February 9, 2021|Popular-Science
But in the case of black women, another study found no lack of interest.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There were also crashes not due to either mechanical or human error but to a lack of warning of dangerous conditions.
Flight 8501 Poses Question: Are Modern Jets Too Automated to Fly?|Clive Irving|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But this physical involvement, or lack of it, is only part of the problem.
Flight 8501 Poses Question: Are Modern Jets Too Automated to Fly?|Clive Irving|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There are a few good ones, Antoine says, but he complained bitterly of a lack of responsiveness.
Ground Zero of the NYPD Slowdown|Batya Ungar-Sargon|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The following month came, and for lack of a better term, I chickened out.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He is perplexed and hindered by the lack of soldiers, but is doing his best with his small forces.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
The lack of bill buyers in foreign countries who will quote as low rates on dollar as on sterling bills.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
The rapid spread of the revolt was not a whit less marvelous than its lack of method or cohesion.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
He heard himself saying lightly, though with apparent lack of interest: 'How curious, Lettice, how very odd!
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
Such mutual distrust necessarily creates or accompanies a lack of moral courage.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

British Dictionary definitions for lack

lack

/ (læk) /

noun

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

something that is required but is absent or in short supply

verb

(when intr, often foll by in or for) to be deficient (in) or have need (of)to lack purpose

Word Origin for lack

C12: related to Middle Dutch laken to be wanting

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

lack

OTHER WORDS FOR lack

OPPOSITES FOR lack

Origin of lack

Words nearby lack

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say lack?

Words related to lack

How to use lack in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for lack

Word Origin for lack