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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lacking
Adjective
-
Labor advocates say the strikers’ benefits bill is a necessary counter to the advantages most employers have at the bargaining table, especially since the Trump administration has left the National Labor Relations Board with insufficient members to act and shrunk the ranks of labor mediators.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
31 May 2025 -
May 7, 2025 DHS tells Harvard that the school's initial production of information on its international students is insufficient, and asks for more details.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
Presence Sometimes what’s absent from a film defines it as much as what’s present.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
4 June 2025
-
China's defense minister was absent from this year's event and sent a lower-level delegation instead.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 June 2025
Verb
-
If your home is begging for a refresh, don’t miss the chance to save on furniture and decor at Wayfair’s epic spring sale.—
Ali Faccenda,
People.com,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Rebecca was then allegedly seen on camera begging Yolanda to call 911 multiple times as her wife told her to go back inside.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In a job market where interviews are scarce and searches can stretch for months, Marino-Briggs was struck by how often candidates arrived unprepared.—
Julia Korn,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
-
In a year where momentum is scarce, NASCAR’s 600-mile test provides a chance to put some distance between the good and the great.—
Shane Connuck,
Charlotte Observer,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Divers were searching New York City’s East River under the Roosevelt Island Bridge Friday for a missing 15-year-old girl who went into the water but never resurfaced.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2025
-
But more than confidence and an impressive stat line, Neville has something else that had gone missing in Fayetteville: Joy.—
Lindsay Schnell,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
And for many, forgiveness might seem an inadequate response, given available options like anger, bitterness, hatred, revenge, retribution.—
Kevin Sack,
Time,
3 June 2025
-
Last December, a tiff erupted between billionaire entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, on the one side, and MAGA champions including Steve Bannon, over the formers’ claims that H-1B workers are needed because the homegrown tech workforce is inadequate.—
Alec MacGillis,
ProPublica,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
The plaintiffs are asking the court to block the administration’s order, which puts Haitians at risk of being returned to a country overrun by deadly gangs.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
15 Mar. 2025
-
The Purple One was not pleased when his band started asking questions.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Steer clear of puddles - Driving into puddles or low areas of rainwater can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
31 May 2025
-
Even with the longstanding recommendations, vaccination rates were relatively low for children and pregnant women.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Lacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lacking. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share