lacking 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of lackingnext
1
as in insufficient
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need we felt the afternoon television offerings were somewhat lacking in entertainment value

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in absent
not present or in evidence for the moment anyway, wood for the fireplace is lacking

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

lacking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of lack
as in begging

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lacking
  1. insufficient
  2. absent
  3. begging
  4. scarce
  5. missing
  6. inadequate
  7. asking
  8. low
Adjective
  • So far this fall, Milwaukee DNS has seen a 35% increase in complaints from last year about landlords providing no heat or insufficient heat, WITI-TV (Channel 6) and WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) reported.
    Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 8 Dec. 2024
  • In the previous tournament format, nine points from six matches were insufficient for Shakhtar Donetsk to escape Group H in 2023/24.
    Henry Flynn, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Definition of insufficient
Adjective
  • With Manchin absent in the Senate, and the vote tied at 49-49, a potential tie-breaking vote from Vice President Harris was possible.
    Axios, Axios, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Carven had been absent from the runways and without a marquee designer for several years.
    Luisa Zargani, WWD, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of absent
Verb
  • Literally begging any of these idiots to understand how the internet works.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
  • People were begging me to cut it down.
    Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of begging
Adjective
  • The area normally can expect 38.4 inches, according to the National Weather Service. Chicago was warmer than average during the 2023-24 season due to a La Niña climate system, which meant snow was scarce.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2024
  • International guests were also scarce that year due to a combination of continuing reservations about doing business with Saudi Arabia over its human rights record and a fresh Covid-19 wave, linked to the Omicron variant.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2024
Definition of scarce
Adjective
  • Now, 14 years later, Bear’s teen sister has gone missing too.
    Lizz Schumer, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024
  • The week’s biggest stories Missing people L.A. firefighter who went missing after Long Beach dive identified, but he hasn’t been found.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2024
Definition of missing
Adjective
  • Deputies discovered numerous cats and dogs living in unsanitary and unsafe conditions, with inadequate food, water and ventilation.
    Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Often, underperformance is rooted in commercial challenges—poor go-to-market capabilities, weak differentiation, inadequate sales talent, lack of a SalesTech infrastructure, or insufficient understanding of market conditions, as the latest CMO Survey has shown.
    Julian Villanueva, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Definition of inadequate
Verb
  • Carter’s attorney Alex Spiro filed a motion Monday asking a judge to force the accuser to reveal her real name or dismiss the case.
    Conor Murray, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Something dim and unknowable seemed to be asking me to trust it.
    Rebekah Pahl, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of asking
Adjective
  • New York City and Philadelphia were expected to hit the mid-50s Sunday and low 60s by Wednesday.
    Susan Miller, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Alabama’s ceiling looked higher, but its floor looked lower.
    Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of low
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near lacking

lackeys

lacking

lackluster

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Lacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lacking. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on lacking

Nglish: Translation of lacking for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of lacking for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...