lack

¹lack

verb \ˈlak\

Definition of LACK

intransitive verb

1

: to be deficient or missing <time is lacking for a full explanation>

2

: to be short or have need of something <he will not lack for advisers>

transitive verb

: to stand in need of : suffer from the absence or deficiency of <lack the necessities of life>

Examples of LACK

1. His book lacks any coherent structure.
2. They lack a good strategy for winning the election.
3. This painting lacks any artistic value.
4. She has never been accused of lacking confidence.
5. Many of these people lack the basic necessities of life.

First Known Use of LACK

13th century

Rhymes with LACK

back, black, Braque, clack, claque, crack, flack, flak, hack, jack, knack, lac, lakh, mac, Mac, pack, plaque, quack, rack, sac, sack, sacque, shack, slack, smack, snack, stack, tach, tack, thwack, track, Wac, wack, whack, wrack, yak

²lack

noun

Definition of LACK

1

: the fact or state of being wanting or deficient <a lack of evidence>

2

: something that is lacking or is needed

Examples of LACK

1. The problem is a lack of money.
2. She has been suffering from a lack of sleep lately.
3. Her problem is lack of sleep.

Origin of LACK

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to LACK

Synonyms

absence, dearth, want

Antonyms

presence

Related Words

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

Near Antonyms

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