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
Jennifer Tescher, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
And don’t give me the lacking pass protection nonsense.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
But Bob is historically tardy and his research and prep work is historically always pretty lacking.
—Outside Online, 25 Feb. 2026
The millions of taxpayer dollars saved by eliminating this wasteful expenditure can be used toward academic achievement, which by all accounts is severely lacking.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
Vučević is also a good defensive rebounder, an area in which the Celtics are greatly lacking.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Someone who speaks too directly is described as intense or lacking polish.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
These are all signs of a lacking musclespan, whereas not noticing any difficulties in everyday tasks suggests a stronger trajectory.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 11 Dec. 2025
Instead, safety measures, staffing and medical training were all lacking.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Financial vulnerability in Cook County has declined modestly since 2022, with fewer households reporting having less than a week of savings and fewer lacking confidence in reaching long-term goals.
—Jennifer Tescher, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
And don’t give me the lacking pass protection nonsense.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2026
But Bob is historically tardy and his research and prep work is historically always pretty lacking.
—Outside Online, 25 Feb. 2026
The millions of taxpayer dollars saved by eliminating this wasteful expenditure can be used toward academic achievement, which by all accounts is severely lacking.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2026
Vučević is also a good defensive rebounder, an area in which the Celtics are greatly lacking.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Someone who speaks too directly is described as intense or lacking polish.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
These are all signs of a lacking musclespan, whereas not noticing any difficulties in everyday tasks suggests a stronger trajectory.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 11 Dec. 2025
Instead, safety measures, staffing and medical training were all lacking.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lacking
Adjective
-
The mall had insufficient exterior lighting, the city said, and graffiti resulting from deferred or neglected maintenance.—
Roger Vincent,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Scientists found that the number of high schoolers getting insufficient sleep — less than seven hours a night — has increased from 69% to 77%.—
Berly McCoy,
NPR,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Add in Paul Mescal's solid turn as an absent Bard dad who deals with the loss in his own way, plus a cathartic final act, and director Chloé Zhao's gut-wrenching historical drama has a good chance of placing high on a lot of Oscar voters' lists.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
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In another timeline where none of Puerto Rico’s stars were absent from the tournament, Darell Hernaiz would be in Arizona, sharpening his skills in spring training with the Athletics.—
Maria Torres,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Watching Jalen Brunson flopping the other night and watching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander begging for calls like a Premier League player was like watching a championship fight.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Savannah and her siblings have posted several impassioned pleas to their mother's kidnapper, begging the person to let Nancy go.—
Daysia Tolentino,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When the price of something scarce—concert tickets, Saturday night tables, theme park rides—is set far below what the market would naturally bear, the scarcity doesn’t disappear.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Ukraine is hoping to trade that know-how for scarce Patriot missiles.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Now that these documents are public, there are still 37 pages that remain missing from the database, according to NPR's calculation.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
6 Mar. 2026
-
His personal belongings, including gold jewelry, also went missing.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In 1969, health experts at a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health concluded nutrition in medical education was inadequate and recommended making funds for future program development available.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Advocates for Eaton and Palisades fire survivors accuse virtually every insurance company of attempting to lowball homeowners by using industrial hygienists who conduct inadequate analyses.—
Tony Saavedra,
Daily News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As the developers described the plan, residents began asking other questions, often interrupting.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
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Impacts could range from restrictions on pools and water parks, to temporarily shutting down water-intensive economic activities, including potentially some agriculture, and asking people to reduce their consumption, said Lambert in Doha.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Kelly Clarkson Home Valentin Striped Indoor/Outdoor Area Rug Powerloomed for durability, this low-pile rug works well both outdoors on a patio or indoors in high-traffic areas like mudrooms.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
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ValenSil serves as a microcosm of a broader shift in the US labor market to a low-hire, low-fire environment that is likely to be highlighted when the February jobs report is released Friday morning.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lacking. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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