Synonyms of lacking

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

• insufficient
• scarce
• inadequate
• low
• deficient
• short
• wanting
• unacceptable
• sparse
• shy
• unsatisfactory
• poor
• substandard
• scant
• small
• meager
• scanty
• skimpy
• spare
• lean
• light
• minimum
• mere
• slender
• stingy
• bare
• slim
• skimp
• slight
• hand-to-mouth

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adequate
• sufficient
• enough
• abundant
• ample
• plentiful
• generous
• liberal
• copious
• bountiful
• plenteous
• enlarged
• bounteous
• satisfactory
• supplemented
• expanded
• overflowing
• tolerable
• large
• rich
• considerable
• substantial
• plenitudinous
• lavish
• teeming
• super
• big
• sizable
• abounding
• luxuriant
• hefty
• oversize
• jumbo
• largish
• king-size

2

as in absent

not present or in evidence

for the moment anyway, wood for the fireplace is lacking

Synonyms & Similar Words

• absent
• missing
• nonexistent
• lost
• extinct
• wanting
• vanished
• inadequate
• insufficient
• sparse
• done
• obsolete
• departed
• scarce
• over
• expired
• defunct
• finished
• uncommon
• rare
• perished
• dead
• lapsed
• passé

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• present
• existent
• active
• alive
• current
• living
• thriving
• common
• prevalent
• prevailing
• going
• apparent
• evident
• obvious
• conspicuous
• plain
• animate
• uncanceled

lacking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of lack

as in begging

Related Words

• begging
• hurting (for)
• asking
• insisting
• crying (for)
• involving
• requiring
• needing
• clamoring (for)
• pressing
• commanding
• enjoining
• exacting
• wanting
• demanding
• necessitating
• challenging
• stipulating
• claiming
• entailing
• questing
• warranting
• taking
• bearing

Dissimilar Words

• having
• holding
• possessing
• owning

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lacking

Adjective

Rival broadcasters Channel 4 and Channel 5 — both reliant on advertising revenue and lacking Sky’s pay-TV cushion — are expected to raise competition concerns. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026

Shuffling the opposition across to make space for a switch to the far side is a viable method of attack, but that can then come at the cost of a central box presence, with Portugal lacking runners beyond the ball. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 July 2026

There is something to be found in both this character and the actress who plays her, but Alcock’s Kara did not have a chance to shine here in a lacking feature, and deserved better. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026

An honest review would tell you the coordination was a little lacking in this particular bit of maritime cosplay. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

While sports governing bodies such as FIFA and the International Olympic Committee have come to recognize that press freedom is an essential part of their commitments to uphold human rights, results are vastly lacking. — Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, Fortune, 23 June 2026

Of those lacking space, dozens of schools have a solution in place — such as an annex that’s already planned, a capital project that’s already sited, or excess space in a building with several schools that can be reallocated — according to the plan. — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026

Coaches and teammates have struggled to remain in contact with him, and AIyuk’s rare social media posts have been both cryptic and lacking clues about his football ambitions. — Caelyn Pender, Mercury News, 3 June 2026

Not just any type of bus, but a marshrutka—a crowded, rumbling, claustrophobic Soviet holdover minibus, solidly built with steel girding and equally lacking in shock absorbers and seat padding. — Irene Zabytko may 7, Literary Hub, 7 May 2026