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
Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
If your yard is a bit lacking in colorful birds, adding a feeder can help attract all sorts of them.
—Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Apr. 2026
But the upper frequencies are still slightly lacking.
—Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
Loro Parque, a zoo on the island of Tenerife, offers a clean and safe environment, expert care and proper mental and social stimulation that Wikie and Keijo are desperately lacking.
—Valerie Greene, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
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
Adjective
The detainees—from Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Myanmar and eight other nations—were found in restricted compounds, some lacking passports or proper immigration documentation.
—Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
If your yard is a bit lacking in colorful birds, adding a feeder can help attract all sorts of them.
—Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Apr. 2026
But the upper frequencies are still slightly lacking.
—Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
Loro Parque, a zoo on the island of Tenerife, offers a clean and safe environment, expert care and proper mental and social stimulation that Wikie and Keijo are desperately lacking.
—Valerie Greene, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lacking
Adjective
-
Experts say the overall patchwork of federal and state funding for call centers remains insufficient to meet the true level of need.—
Devi Shastri,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Granted, there was a lot to criticize in my writing, which was suffering from all sorts of problems, from structural incoherence to insufficient character development to—yes—didactic heavy-handedness that broke the reader’s immersion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But the on-loan Manchester United forward is not Flick’s first choice on the wing when Raphinha, who is still out with a hamstring injury, and Yamal are absent.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Orlando has consistently ranked among the top cities with the most severe shortages of affordable housing since the report began in 2019, only absent from the top 10 in 2021.—
Ryan von Weller,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Rollins stormed off the set, leaving Brandt and the rest of his co-hosts stunned, with the latter begging the former to return and finish his segment.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The seafarer who spoke to ABC News described a grim scene currently of ships drifting with little direction, and listening on the ship-to-ship communication systems called the VHF line -- accounts of crews growing desperate for basic provisions, and some begging to go home.—
Desiree Adib,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The sharp debate in Union Park is only the latest in a series of thorny confrontations about how best to manage homelessness in the Central Florida region, where housing costs are high, shelter space is scarce, and residents are concerned about people living in public spaces.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
-
As costs of both real estate and farming continue to rise, many parcels are vanishing without notice, making wine made from old vines increasingly scarce, especially in Napa.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The other five crew members remain missing.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Authorities in the United States are investigating cases of 10 missing or deceased scientists.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Current funding levels are inadequate and prevent the critical expansion needed to close that child care gap.—
Pamela Campos,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The father of a Deer Path Middle School student said his sixth-grade son was attacked by other students earlier this month and is criticizing Lake Forest District 67’s initial response as inadequate.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But a sport that has no problem changing longstanding rules to allegedly improve the game shouldn’t be shy about asking fans what’s needed to make going to the ballpark a more enjoyable experience.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
His is a method of ruthless practicality, of taking apart mathematics piece by piece and asking what is necessary.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The group, originally signed to RCA Records, released two albums of bustling synth pop and opened for Harry Styles in the late twenty-tens but was cast off in the early days of the pandemic owing to low sales.—
Dan Stahl,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
-
Senators Chris Murphy and Ruben Gallego have spoken publicly about wanting to pursue this, and Bedoya notes that there’s precedent for this action, citing Democrats’ recent introduction of a bill to break up the meatpacking industry to create lower prices for consumers.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lacking. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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