Lack — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈlak/

Meaning & Definition of Lack

Lack (verb)

  1. to be deficient or missing
  2. to be short or have need of something
  3. to stand in need of, suffer from the absence or deficiency of

Lack (noun)

  1. the fact or state of being wanting or deficient
  2. something that is lacking or is needed

Lack (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the fact or state of being absent

    "the lack of news about the fate of the soldiers was frustrating"

    similar: absence, dearth, want
    related: deficiency, deficit, failure, famine, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency, meagerness, paucity, poverty, scantiness, scantness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, skimpiness, undersupply, deprivation, loss, necessity, need, needfulness, omission, privation, blankness, emptiness, vacuity, vacuum, void
    opposite: presence
    near: abundance, amplitude, bounty, plenitude, plenteousness, plentifulness, plentitude, plenty, wealth, adequacy, sufficiency, excess, overabundance, oversupply, superabundance, surfeit, surplus, deluge, flood, bushel, deal, gobs, heap, loads, lot, mass, mountain, much, oodles, peck, pile, pot, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, volume, wad, fund, pool, stock, supply, cache, hoard, stash, stockpile

  2. a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number

    "the lack of eligible candidates for the jury kept the trial from getting started"

    similar: crunch, dearth, deficiency, deficit, drought, failure, famine, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency, lacuna, paucity, pinch, poverty, scantiness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, undersupply, want
    related: absence, omission, meagerness, poorness, skimpiness, necessity, need, privation
    opposite: abundance, adequacy, amplitude, opulence, plenitude, plenty, sufficiency, wealth
    near: bountifulness, copiousness, excess, overabundance, oversupply, surfeit, surplus

  3. a state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful

    "the lack of fresh water at the campsite definitely would be a problem"

    similar: absence, need, needfulness, want
    related: deficiency, deficit, inadequacy, insufficiency, dearth, meagerness, paucity, poverty, scantiness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, skimpiness, defect, minus, deprivation, famishment, privation, demand, essential, necessity, requirement, requisite
    near: adequacy, enough, sufficiency, fund, pool, stock, supply, excess, fill, overabundance, oversupply, plenty, surfeit, surplus, hoard, stockpile

Lack (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in hurt (for)

    similar: hurt (for), ask, beg, clamor (for), cry (for), command, enjoin, exact, insist, press, quest, stipulate, entail, involve, bear, challenge, claim, demand, necessitate, need, require, take, want, warrant
    opposite: have, hold, own, possess

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Lack

The most common words with a similar meaning to Lack:

absence, dearth, want, crunch, deficiency, deficit, drought, failure, famine, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency, lacuna, paucity, pinch, poverty, scantiness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, undersupply, need, needfulness, hurt (for), ask, beg, clamor (for), cry (for), command, enjoin, exact, insist, press, quest, stipulate, entail, involve, bear, challenge, claim

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Lack

Words with the opposite meaning of Lack:

presence, abundance, adequacy, amplitude, opulence, plenitude, plenty, sufficiency, wealth, have, hold, own, possess

Related Words for Lack

meagerness, scantness, skimpiness, deprivation, loss, necessity, omission, privation, blankness, emptiness, vacuity, vacuum, void, poorness, defect, minus, famishment, essential, requirement, requisite

Near Antonyms of Lack

bounty, plenteousness, plentifulness, plentitude, excess, overabundance, oversupply, superabundance, surfeit, surplus, deluge, flood, bushel, deal, gobs, heap, loads, lot, mass, mountain, much, oodles, peck, pile, pot, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack

Word Forms of Lack

Inflections: lacked, lacking, lacks

Origin & Etymology of Lack

Middle English lak; akin to Middle Dutch lak lack, Old Norse lakr defective

First known use: 12th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Lack

Words & Phrases Containing Lack

lack of action, lack thereof, for lack of, no lack of, it is not for lack/want of trying, lack/want for nothing

Frequently Asked Questions about Lack

What does "Lack" mean?

"Lack" means to be deficient or missing. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to be deficient or missing. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Lack"?

Other words for "Lack" include absence, dearth, want, crunch, deficiency, deficit, drought and failure. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Lack" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Lack"?

There are 65 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Lack". Common alternatives include absence, dearth, want, crunch, deficiency, deficit, drought, failure, famine and inadequacy.

What is the opposite of "Lack"?

Antonyms of "Lack" include presence, abundance, adequacy, amplitude, opulence, plenitude, plenty and sufficiency. Near antonyms include bounty, plenteousness, plentifulness and plentitude.

How do you use "Lack" in a sentence?

Examples of "Lack" in a sentence: "the lack of news about the fate of the soldiers was frustrating"; "the lack of eligible candidates for the jury kept the trial from getting started"; "the lack of fresh water at the campsite definitely would be a problem".

Is "Lack" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Lack" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Lack" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Lack" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Lack"?

"Lack" is pronounced /ˈlak/.