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Synonyms

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.

verb (used with object)

  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, want

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

    He lacks three votes to win.

verb (used without object)

  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

"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

verb

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

    to lack purpose
"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

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. 

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”

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.

For Beacham though, there is a lack of detail in a proposal that will permanently transform the area.

From BBC

Possible replacements, including Hassan Khomeini, grandson of the regime’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, lack his stature and high-level connections, these officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal

An animal rescue centre says it has seen an increase in cat families being abandoned due to rising costs and a lack of neutering.

From BBC

He criticised East Lothian Council for its lack of engagement with the community.

From BBC

Along with a lack of robust studies into these peptides, recent analysis of some of the products suggests that 8% may be contaminated with bacterial endotoxins.

From BBC

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.