Showing results for "lacking"

• present participle of lack.

lacking

American  

[lak-ing] / ˈlæk ɪŋ /

preposition

1. being without; not having; wanting; less.

   Lacking equipment, the laboratory couldn't undertake the research project.

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adjective

1. wanting; deficient.

   He was found lacking in stamina.

Etymology

Origin of lacking

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; lack + -ing ²

Explanation

If something's lacking, there's not enough of it. Your new house may be lacking when it comes to comfortable chairs, leading your friends to lounge on the floor instead. If there's a shortage of something, it's lacking. You might also describe something that's deficient — or not quite good enough — as lacking. If a substitute teacher is lacking in skill when it comes to controlling a rowdy class, he'll be exhausted by the end of his first day on the job. Finally, you can use this word in the sense of "absent": If your older brother's appetite is lacking, he might be coming down with something — usually he can eat an entire pizza on his own.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lacking

Startups are increasingly inking deals with unreliable providers out of desperation, like ones lacking proper security or weaker infrastructure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

This is likely due to the loss of muscle or to a diet lacking in protein and other nutrients.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

"If it's making you feel lacking, that's a really important signal to pay attention to, and suggests that maybe this isn't for me to be looking at."

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Now a new report filed in federal court has reaffirmed those earlier findings with on-the-ground detail previously lacking.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Or I contended in my mind against the ignorant writers who condemned women as frail and lacking in virtue.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Related Words

• flawed
• inadequate
• incomplete