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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lacking
Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2025
The film’s overall low-key tenor downplays both moral judgment and conspicuous style, though neither are entirely lacking.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
Others point a finger at the PA, which remains deeply unpopular among Palestinians and is seen by many as weak, corrupt and lacking legitimacy.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
Bringing out the playmaker While Horn got paid a record-setting contract in March, the national buzz about his talent has been somewhat lacking.
—Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
The greatest challenge for Stone, then, was injecting personality into an 11,000-square-foot house that was initially quite lacking in it.
—Juliet Izon, Architectural Digest, 17 Sep. 2025
Where the official response to this tragedy was lacking, the Burning Man community stepped in to fill the gap.
—Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
That is not to say that his coverage abilities are in any way lacking, but the Jaguars might see more value in Hunter catching passes to start.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
It can be used to crudely express boredom, annoyance or to signal that something is self-indulgent or lacking purpose.
—Sofi Zeman
august 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
Verb
Art that truly centres girlhood, meanwhile, had too often been dismissed as sentimental or lacking intellectual rigor.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2025
The film’s overall low-key tenor downplays both moral judgment and conspicuous style, though neither are entirely lacking.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
Others point a finger at the PA, which remains deeply unpopular among Palestinians and is seen by many as weak, corrupt and lacking legitimacy.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2025
Bringing out the playmaker While Horn got paid a record-setting contract in March, the national buzz about his talent has been somewhat lacking.
—Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2025
The greatest challenge for Stone, then, was injecting personality into an 11,000-square-foot house that was initially quite lacking in it.
—Juliet Izon, Architectural Digest, 17 Sep. 2025
Where the official response to this tragedy was lacking, the Burning Man community stepped in to fill the gap.
—Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
That is not to say that his coverage abilities are in any way lacking, but the Jaguars might see more value in Hunter catching passes to start.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025
It can be used to crudely express boredom, annoyance or to signal that something is self-indulgent or lacking purpose.
—Sofi Zeman
august 8, Kansas City Star, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lacking
Adjective
-
Her gambit works, and the season ends with Macy telling Franks that there's insufficient evidence to pursue the case.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Department of Justice will be appealing the ‘woefully insufficient’ sentence for the would-be assassin of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
No victims speak in court While the court heard several pleas from Combs’ supporters Friday, the victims who testified at trial were noticeably absent from the hearing.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Sultana has tepidly supported this bid but been conspicuously absent from Your Party’s recent social-media posts.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But quite incredibly, the third and final chance went begging as Ozer saved superbly.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
In a throwback to the warts-and-all silliness of the family’s legendary MTV reality show, The Osbournes, Coming Home appears to lean into the domestic comedy of the Osbourne clan, opening with a jittery Ozzy begging Sharon to stop driving in a herky-jerky manner.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Details remain scarce, but Netflix says that players will have to undergo physical and mental challenges in order to receive clues, with characters like the aforementioned Mustard, Professor Plum and others all represented.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Oct. 2025
-
And don’t forget to keep filling the DesGully Window Bird Feeder all winter long—birds come to rely on that food source, especially when the weather’s cold and the food is scarce.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But the Satin Doll's vintage Schlitz sign has gone missing.—
Mary Spicuzza,
jsonline.com,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Somehow, after the plane landed though before Andrés and Daria reached the taxi stand, Daria’s wallet went missing.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The rapid expansion of psychedelic therapy has surfaced risks, like inadequate facilitator training and questionable consent practices in unregulated settings.—
Sonia Singh,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Private pleas for Biden to show some heart were simply an inadequate response to the killing fields of Gaza, which anyone with eyes could recognize as a genocide.—
Book Marks
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Donovan isn’t asking Giddey or Kevin Huerter to transform into elite one-on-one defenders.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Advocates recommend reaching out and asking them to explain the denial.—
Duaa Eldeib,
ProPublica,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
For instance, if both people are eligible but one earned more, collect the lower amount first to have some cash.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lacking. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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