lack
Americannoun
-
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.
- Antonyms:
- surplus
-
something missing or needed.
After he left, they really felt the lack.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb phrase
noun
-
an insufficiency, shortage, or absence of something required or desired
-
something that is required but is absent or in short supply
verb
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
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
lacksimple
-
lackssimple
-
have lackedperfect
-
has lackedperfect
-
am lackingprogressive
-
are lackingprogressive
-
is lackingprogressive
-
have been lackingperfect progressive
-
has been lackingperfect progressive
Past
-
lackedsimple
-
had lackedperfect
-
was lackingprogressive
-
were lackingprogressive
-
had been lackingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing lack
Zilch, Zip, Nada: Words For Nothing
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
ACT Vocabulary List
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Nobody's Home: Synonyms For "Absent"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Long-simmering frustration over the state's lack of accountability created the conditions for this "implosion", he told the BBC, adding that the architecture of social media makes such eruptions likely to recur.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
“My personal advocacy stems from this understanding, and from the disappointment I feel in the lack of awareness in my community,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The biggest hurdles to all eligible families receiving the free $1,000 may be either a lack of public awareness or bureaucratic hurdles, some researchers have said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The year-on-year comparison was weighed down by the lack of a major release in the quarter to contend with last year's blockbuster "Assassin's Creed Shadows", released in March, Ubisoft said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Marina hadn’t forgotten Militsa’s comments about the young recruits’ lack of military polish, and the first order that she gave at Engels was for them all to get men’s haircuts.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
The deal also lacks specific provisions for international inspections, something the country reportedly insisted on.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
Because the Moon lacks a thick atmosphere and a global magnetic field, these particles strike its surface directly.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
That Atlas lacks a firm deployment date in South Korea means little to Byun Jun-hwan, one of the lead labor negotiators.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
If you think his millennial lingo is a sign that he lacks judgment in other areas, you can tell him that “you guyses” are splitting up with him.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Still, for all Grigori’s virtues, he is impulsive. He would rather target street kids than think higher. He lacks restraint and true vision.”
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
However, the FDA said the study lacked the information needed to support the safety and efficacy of BPC-157.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The report also found that the pilot lacked sufficient flight training and proper ground supervision.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The New York Times reported that the new plane lacked the same security countermeasures, including anti-missile defenses.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
The county rejected the plan, saying it lacked specificity and necessitates “an elevated level of fiscal oversight.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
She thanked me for my warning, though her voice lacked conviction.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
"I think the justice system has been lacking for quite some time and it needs a proper overhaul really."
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Barker’s screenplay is sorely lacking the imagination and ambition needed to stake its place among the true classics, horror or otherwise.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
Official statistics are lacking, but media in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have reported an increasing number of victims.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
In contrast, mice lacking functional mGluR4 or NPDC1 did not.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
Most rabbits in his situation, lacking almost all experience of wild life, would have fallen victim at once to the elil: but not Woundwort.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.