Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

lack

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of lack

1 the fact or state of being absent
  • the lack of news about the fate of the soldiers was frustrating
Synonyms of lack

absence, dearth, want
Words Related to lack

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 of lack

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
Antonyms of lack

presence
2 a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
  • the lack of eligible candidates for the jury kept the trial from getting started
Synonyms of lack

crunch, dearth, deficiency, deficit, drought (also drouth), failure, famine, inadequacy, inadequateness, insufficiency, lacuna, paucity, pinch, poverty, scantiness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, undersupply, want
Words Related to lack

absence, omission

meagerness, poorness, skimpiness

necessity, need, privation
Near Antonyms of lack

bountifulness, copiousness

excess, overabundance, oversupply, surfeit, surplus
Antonyms of lack

abundance, adequacy, amplitude, opulence, plenitude, plenty, sufficiency, wealth
3 a state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful
  • the lack of fresh water at the campsite definitely would be a problem
Synonyms of lack

absence, need, needfulness, want
Words Related to lack

deficiency, deficit, inadequacy, insufficiency

dearth, meagerness, paucity, poverty, scantiness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, skimpiness

defect, minus

deprivation, famishment, privation

demand, essential, necessity, requirement, requisite
Near Antonyms of lack

adequacy, enough, sufficiency

fund, pool, stock, supply

excess, fill, overabundance, oversupply, plenty, surfeit, surplus

hoard, stockpile

Learn More about lack

  1. See words that rhyme with lack Dictionary: Definition of lack Spanish Central: Translation of lack Nglish: Translation of lack for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of lack for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lack

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up lack? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

WORD OF THE DAY

bower

Listen to the pronounciation of bower

a shady place in a garden or forest

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. exonerate Barr summarizes Mueller report

  2. catamount Vermont enters the Round of 64

  3. mendacious, mendacity George Conway calls Trump a liar

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games