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lack Definition

lack (lak)

noun

  1. the fact or condition of not having enough; shortage; deficiency
  2. the fact or condition of not having any; complete absence
  3. the thing that is lacking or needed

Etymology: early ME lac < or akin to MLowG & MDu lak, lack: for IE base see leak

intransitive verb

  1. to be wanting or missing; show a deficiency
    1. to be short: with in, for, or, now rarely, of
    2. to be in need

Etymology: ME lacen < MDu laken, to be wanting

transitive verb

  1. to be deficient in or entirely without
  2. to fall short by lacking one ounce of being a pound
  3. Obsolete to need; require

lack Synonyms

lack

n.

  1. The state of being lacking

    destitution, absence, need, dearth, shortage, paucity, deprivation, deficiency, deficit, scarcity, exiguity, exigency, insufficiency, inadequacy, privation, poverty, distress, scantiness.

    Antonyms plenty*, sufficiency, abundance.

  2. That which is lacking

    need, decrease, want, loss, depletion, shrinkage, shortage, shortness, short fall, shortcoming, abridgment, defect, meagerness, scantiness, slightness, inferiority, paucity, stint, curtailment, retrenchment, reduction; see also necessity 2.

    Antonyms wealth*, overflow, satisfaction.

lack Synonyms

lack

v.

need, want, require, have need (of); see need.

lack implies an absence or insufficiency of something essential or desired she lacks experience; want (in this sense, chiefly British) and need stress the urgency of supplying what is lacking this matter needs, or wants, immediate attention; require emphasizes even more strongly imperative need, connoting that what is needed is indispensable his work requires great powers of concentration

lack Usage Examples

Object

  • confidence: Many lacked confidence in the strength of their case.
  • capacity: In cases of doubt, healthcare professionals should make every effort to decide whether the patient lacks capacity.

Converse of object

  • perceive: Finally, the table points to a perceived lack of opportunities for women.
  • bemoan: The club currently lie in 15th place, but manager and director Jeff King has bemoaned the lack of support the club has received.
  • cite: Some cite lack the bill's passage this type of.

Converse of subject

  • hamper: To date, the resolution of this problem has been hampered by a lack of reliable experimental data at a large scale.
  • frustrate: NPAs are frustrated by the lack of legislation to enable them to secure proper management of the commons.
  • hinder: Its practical application, however, is hindered by the lack of information on the complex relationship between the building and its urban environment.

Adjective modifier

  • apparent: There is an apparent lack of genuine leadership on Climate Change.
  • distinct: There is a distinct lack of traffic lights at the dozens of city center crossroads.
  • relative: The relative lack of expertise on the other side may appear to present you with an advantage.
  • seeming: Fourthly we have seeming lack of compassion for the suffering.

Modifies a noun

  • luster: Now I wonder why weren't the lack luster Tories queuing up to talk about that to every available newspaper and TV Company?
  • credibility: I did not find that persons post to lack credibility.

Preposition: of

  • clarity: Again, lack of political clarity was the major handicap.
  • confidence: Our greatest enemy will be our own lack of faith in ourselves, our own lack of confidence.
  • understanding: A lack of understanding about the scope of the ' justification ' defense in DDA cases.
  • awareness: For example, women who are deaf face a lack of awareness by health staff of how to communicate with them.
  • knowledge: There is, however, a lack of knowledge of mountain ecosystems.
  • sleep: Over time I did improve - lack of sleep probably helped too.
lack Quotes

Vixere fortes anteAgamemnona Multi; sed omnes illacrimabiles Urgentur ignotique longa Nocte, carent quia vate sacro. Many brave men lived before Agamemnon's time; but theyare all unmourned and unknown, covered by the long night, because they lack their sacred poet.

—Horace full name  Quintus Horatius Flaccus   65

Browse dictionary entries near lack

  1. ‹ laciniate
  2. ‹ lacing
  3. ‹ laciness
  4. ‹ lacily
  5. ‹ lachrymose
  6. ‹ lachrymatory
  7. ‹ lachrymator
  8. ‹ lachrymal
  9. ‹ Lachine
  10. ‹ Lachesis
  1. lack- ›
  2. lackadaisical ›
  3. lackaday ›
  4. lackey ›
  5. lacking ›
  6. lackluster ›
  7. Laclos ›
  8. LACNIC ›
  9. Laconia ›
  10. laconic ›