noun

lack

lak

noun

The absence or shortage of something needed or wanted.

"The delay was caused by a lack of funding."

"Her lack of experience showed during the interview."

verb

To not have, or not have enough of, something.

"The old car lacked the power to climb steep hills."

How to Use Lack

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishNot having something, or not having enough of it.

Common mistake

Not to be confused with "lac" (a resin) or "lax" (loose or careless) — all sound similar but mean very different things.

Easily confused with

lac → lax →

Common pairings

lack of confidence lack of sleep lack of interest

lacked past tense, lacks plural, lacks singular

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The delay was caused by a _____ of funding.

From Old English *læc, related to Germanic words for "slackness" or "deficiency."

dearth deficiency deficit dejection inadequacy infrequency insufficiency meagerness nonsufficiency paucity penury rareness

adequacy excess

deficit remainder defect dearth poverty excess minus extravagance

ACK jack hack back tack wack pack sack rack Mack Zack aback

dearth deficiency deficit dejection inadequacy infrequency insufficiency meagerness nonsufficiency paucity penury rareness