lacking 1 of 2

adjective

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

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of lacking
Adjective
Illinois already ranks among the states with the highest property taxes in the nation, yet substantive efforts to relieve this burden remain entirely lacking. — Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 The Detroit Free Press and other Michigan- and national-based media organizations have said the claims are misleading or lacking context. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026 But concrete evidence of Clark fans acting in a hateful manner — at least in real time — is severely lacking. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026 With access from both the east and west sides of the campus, the museum’s park creates a pedestrian connection between Vermont Avenue to the west and the rest of Exposition Park to the east, which was previously lacking. — Christina Merino, Daily News, 2 Sep. 2026 Ohio's fittest cities don't rank in the national top 25, but that doesn't mean the Buckeye State is unhealthy or lacking amenities. — Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2026 Where to Stay Ely hosts a handful of hotels and motels within town limits, but true luxury accommodations are somewhat lacking. — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026 Which is to say quality constraints on what Paramount could conceivably dump into theaters are totally lacking. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026 So a resistance surveillance network across places where this is lacking, such as northwestern Nigeria, would bring a huge return on investment. — Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lacking
  1. insufficient
  2. absent
  3. begging
  4. scarce
  5. missing
  6. asking
  7. inadequate
  8. insisting
Adjective
  • Experts attribute that increase partly to issues such as rising healthcare costs, lagging Social Security benefits and insufficient retirement savings.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Prosecutors declined to file any charges, citing insufficient evidence.
    — Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of insufficient
Adjective
  • After discussing the safety measures and hearing from those in attendance, Hall and Lett withdrew to discuss the vote over the phone with Eastern Commissioner Jamey Cope, who was absent for a conference.
    — Glory Reitz, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The moon will be absent most of the night, rising a couple of hours before dawn as a 17%-illuminated waning crescent — too dim to affect visibility of meteors.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of absent
Verb
  • Mahajan’s family has appeared at City Hall, in person and through videoconference calls from India, begging the city to finally end the rides.
    — Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Mahajan's family has appeared at City Hall, in person and through videoconference calls from India, begging the city to finally end the rides.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of begging
Adjective
  • The scarce resource today is a person willing to stand behind what a test claims to prove.
    — Jay Singh, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The conventional seed sector is dominated by hybrid and GMO cotton varieties, making certified organic and non-GMO seed scarce and difficult to obtain.
    — Jennifer Bringle, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of scarce
Adjective
  • Body-camera video obtained by CBS News Atlanta shows HeeHaw the donkey galloping toward officers before a Cedartown police officer shoots him during a search for a missing girl.
    — CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The assemblies also feature NFC identification, and the printer detects whether the platform is correctly installed or missing, providing another useful check before printing.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of missing
Verb
  • During a recent town hall at the Ivy League school, one student raised the question of a Greek life ban, asking student organizers if taking that step might improve the culture on campus.
    — Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Someone wants to hike; someone else would rather browse antique shops; a few people are already asking what’s for dinner.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of asking
Adjective
  • Maryland may reduce a center’s rating when there are too many significant violations, particularly when children are put at risk or there’s inadequate supervision.
    — Justin Price, AJC.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The protests began in the Paris suburbs in September amid complaints about overcrowded classrooms, inadequate heating and cooling, aging buildings and teachers who were not replaced when absent.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of inadequate
Verb
  • Stay flexible instead of insisting everyone stick to the script.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Ironically, the organization has previously objected to certain uses of AI in schools, insisting that AI must remain under human supervision and cannot replace teachers in core instruction or grading.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of insisting

Browse Nearby Words

lackeys
lacking
lackluster
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lacking. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

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 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?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All