noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American, Received-Pronunciation:/læk/
General-American:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
homophone: lakh (one pronunciation)
rhymes with -æk
CMU ARPABET:L AE1 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A deficiency or need (of something desirable or necessary); an absence, want, dearth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: paucity
Antonyms: glut, surplus, plethora
2
noun
Meaning 2
A defect or failing; moral or spiritual degeneracy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
Archaic form of lakh.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, archaic
Examples
a lack of rupees
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To be without, not to have, to need, to require.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: stative, transitive
Examples
My life lacks excitement.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
To be short (of or for something).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
He'll never lack for company while he's got all that money.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To be in want.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
To see the deficiency in (someone or something); to find fault with, to malign, reproach.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
To be off one's guard.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: African-American Vernacular
Examples
His opps caught him lacking.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
there is a serious lack of insight into the problem
water is the critical deficiency in desert regions
From Middle English lack, lakke, lak, from Old English *læc (“deficiency, lack, want”), from Proto-West Germanic *lak, from Proto-Germanic *laką, *lakaz (“slackness”), from Proto-Germanic *lakaz (“limp, slack, loose, low”), related to *lak(k)ōną (“to blame, reproach”), from Proto-Indo-European *lok-néh2-. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Lak (“lack”), Middle Low German lack, lak (“lack”), Dutch lak (“lack, deficiency, calumny”), Icelandic lakur (“lacking”). Related also to Middle Dutch laken (“to blame, lack”). Eclipsed non-native Middle English carence (“absence, lack”), from Old French carence.
From Middle English lacken, lakken, laken, from Old English læccian, *lacian (“to blame, criticise, lack”), from Proto-West Germanic *lak(k)ōn (“to blame, be lacking”), from Proto-Germanic *lak(k)ōną (“to reproach, blame, be lacking”), from Proto-Indo-European *lok-néh2-. Cognate with Old Frisian lakia, lekia (“to contest, blame”), Middle Low German lacken, laken (“to reproach, blame, criticise”), Middle Dutch laken (“to disapprove, blame, lack”), Dutch laken (“to blame, reproach”).
Across languages
Translations
191 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
skam
— deficiency, need
Arabic:
نَقْص
(naqṣ)
— deficiency, need
Arabic:
عَدَم وُجُود
(ʕadam wujūd)
— deficiency, need
Armenian:
պակաս
(pakas)
— deficiency, need
Armenian:
պակասություն
(pakasutʻyun)
— deficiency, need
Assamese:
নাটনি
(natoni)
— deficiency, need
Assamese:
অনাটন
(onaton)
— deficiency, need
Azerbaijani:
çatışmazlıq
— deficiency, need
Azerbaijani:
qıtlıq
— deficiency, need
Belarusian:
адсу́тнасць
(adsútnascʹ)
— deficiency, need
Belarusian:
брак
(brak)
— deficiency, need
Belarusian:
недахва́т
(njedaxvát)
— deficiency, need
Belarusian:
недахо́п
(njedaxóp)
— deficiency, need
Bhojpuri:
आभाव
(ābhāv)
— deficiency, need
Bulgarian:
ну́жда
(núžda)
— deficiency, need
Bulgarian:
ли́пса
(lípsa)
— deficiency, need
Bulgarian:
отсъ́ствие
(otsǎ́stvie)
— deficiency, need
Catalan:
falta
— deficiency, need
Catalan:
manca
— deficiency, need
Catalan:
fretura
— deficiency, need
Catalan:
mancança
— deficiency, need
Chinese Mandarin:
不足
(bùzú)
— deficiency, need
Chinese Mandarin:
缺乏
(quēfá)
— deficiency, need
Czech:
nedostatek
— deficiency, need
Danish:
mangel
— deficiency, need
Dutch:
gebrek
— deficiency, need
Esperanto:
manko
— deficiency, need
Finnish:
puute
— deficiency, need
Finnish:
vajaus
— deficiency, need
Finnish:
vaje
— deficiency, need
French:
manque
— deficiency, need
French:
défaut
— deficiency, need
French:
absence
— deficiency, need
Galician:
falla
— deficiency, need
Galician:
marra
— deficiency, need
Galician:
carencia
— deficiency, need
German:
Mangel
— deficiency, need
Gothic:
𐍅𐌰𐌽
(wan)
— deficiency, need
Greek:
έλλειψη
(élleipsi)
— deficiency, need
Greek:
ένδεια
(éndeia)
— deficiency, need
Ancient Greek:
ἔνδεια
(éndeia)
— deficiency, need
Hebrew:
חוסר
(chóser)
— deficiency, need
Hindi:
कमी
(kamī)
— deficiency, need
Hindi:
अभाव
(abhāv)
— deficiency, need
Hindi:
अपर्याप्त
(aparyāpt)
— deficiency, need
Hungarian:
hiány
— deficiency, need
Icelandic:
skortur
— deficiency, need
Ingrian:
vaijuus
— deficiency, need
Irish:
uireasa
— deficiency, need
Italian:
mancanza
— deficiency, need
Italian:
scarsità
— deficiency, need
Italian:
carenza
— deficiency, need
Italian:
penuria
— deficiency, need
Japanese:
不足
(fusoku)
— deficiency, need
Japanese:
欠乏
(ketsubō)
— deficiency, need
Korean:
부족
(bujok)
— deficiency, need
Korean:
결핍
(gyeolpip)
— deficiency, need
Ladino:
mankansa
— deficiency, need
Latin:
pēnūria
— deficiency, need
Macedonian:
недостаток
(nedostatok)
— deficiency, need
Malayalam:
ഇല്ലായ്മ
(illāyma)
— deficiency, need
Malayalam:
അഭാവം
(abhāvaṁ)
— deficiency, need
Māori:
kore
— deficiency, need
Norwegian:
mangel
— deficiency, need
Occitan:
manca
— deficiency, need
Occitan:
mancança
— deficiency, need
Polish:
brak
— deficiency, need
Polish:
niedostatek
— deficiency, need
Portuguese:
falta
— deficiency, need
Portuguese:
carência
— deficiency, need
Portuguese:
deficiência
— deficiency, need
Portuguese:
penúria
— deficiency, need
Portuguese:
escassez
— deficiency, need
Romanian:
lipsă (de)
— deficiency, need
Russian:
отсу́тствие
(otsútstvije)
— deficiency, need
Russian:
нехва́тка
(nexvátka)
— deficiency, need
Russian:
недоста́ток
(nedostátok)
— deficiency, need
Russian:
нужда́
(nuždá)
— deficiency, need
Scottish Gaelic:
cion
— deficiency, need
Scottish Gaelic:
gainne
— deficiency, need
Scottish Gaelic:
gainnead
— deficiency, need
Scottish Gaelic:
easbhaidh
— deficiency, need
Serbo-Croatian:
недостатак
— deficiency, need
Serbo-Croatian:
nedostatak
— deficiency, need
Slovak:
nedostatok
— deficiency, need
Spanish:
falta
— deficiency, need
Spanish:
carencia
— deficiency, need
Spanish:
penuria
— deficiency, need
Spanish:
escasez
— deficiency, need
Swedish:
avsaknad
— deficiency, need
Swedish:
brist
— deficiency, need
Tocharian B:
menki
— deficiency, need
Turkish:
eksiklik
— deficiency, need
Turkish:
yokluk
— deficiency, need
Turkish:
yoksunluk
— deficiency, need
Turkish:
noksan
— deficiency, need
Ottoman Turkish:
نقصان
(noksan)
— deficiency, need
Ottoman Turkish:
فقدان
(fıkdân)
— deficiency, need
Ukrainian:
брак
(brak)
— deficiency, need
Ukrainian:
відсу́тність
(vidsútnistʹ)
— deficiency, need
Ukrainian:
недоста́ча
(nedostáča)
— deficiency, need
Urdu:
کمی
(kamī)
— deficiency, need
Welsh:
diffyg
— deficiency, need
Yiddish:
מאַנגל
(mangl)
— deficiency, need
Zazaki:
kemiyey
— deficiency, need
Zazaki:
kemeyin
— deficiency, need
Zazaki:
taynin
— deficiency, need
Zazaki:
qıtlığ
— deficiency, need
Albanian:
lyp
— be without, need, require
Basque:
falta da
— be without, need, require
Belarusian:
бракава́ць
(brakavácʹ)
— be without, need, require
Belarusian:
адсу́тнічаць
(adsútničacʹ)
— be without, need, require
Bulgarian:
нужда́я се
(nuždája se)
— be without, need, require
Bulgarian:
липсва ми
(lipsva mi)
— be without, need, require
Catalan:
faltar
— be without, need, require
Catalan:
mancar
— be without, need, require
Chinese Mandarin:
缺
(quē)
— be without, need, require
Chinese Mandarin:
欠
(qiàn)
— be without, need, require
Chinese Mandarin:
缺乏
(quēfá)
— be without, need, require
Czech:
postrádat
— be without, need, require
Danish:
mangle
— be without, need, require
Dutch:
derven
— be without, need, require
Dutch:
ontberen
— be without, need, require
Dutch:
missen
— be without, need, require
Dutch:
gebrek hebben (aan)
— be without, need, require
Esperanto:
manki
— be without, need, require
Faliscan:
careo (careo)
— be without, need, require
Finnish:
tarvita
— be without, need, require
Finnish:
kaivata
— be without, need, require
French:
manquer
— be without, need, require
Galician:
faltar
— be without, need, require
Galician:
fallar
— be without, need, require
Galician:
marrar
— be without, need, require
Georgian:
აკლია
(aḳlia)
— be without, need, require
German:
mangeln
— be without, need, require
German:
fehlen
— be without, need, require
German:
entbehren
— be without, need, require
German:
fääle
— be without, need, require
Ancient Greek:
δέω
(déō)
— be without, need, require
Ancient Greek:
χηρεύω
(khēreúō)
— be without, need, require
Greenlandic:
-ilatsi
— be without, need, require
Haitian Creole:
manke
— be without, need, require
Hungarian:
nélkülöz
— be without, need, require
Hungarian:
hiányt szenved
— be without, need, require
Hungarian:
hiányol
— be without, need, require
Icelandic:
skorta
— be without, need, require
Ido:
indijar
— be without, need, require
Italian:
mancare
— be without, need, require
Italian:
scarseggiare
— be without, need, require
Italian:
richiedere
— be without, need, require
Italian:
necessitare
— be without, need, require
Japanese:
欠ける
(kakeru)
— be without, need, require
Japanese:
欠く
(kaku)
— be without, need, require
Kashubian:
mësac
— be without, need, require
Khmer:
ខ្វះ
(khvah)
— be without, need, require
Korean:
없다
(eopda)
— be without, need, require
Korean:
부족하다
(bujokhada)
— be without, need, require
Ladino:
mankar
— be without, need, require
Latin:
desum
— be without, need, require
Latin:
egeo
— be without, need, require
Latin:
careo
— be without, need, require
Latin:
desidero
— be without, need, require
Macedonian:
недостасува
(nedostasuva)
— be without, need, require
Māori:
kōpaka
— be without, need, require
Mongolian:
дутах
(dutax)
— be without, need, require
Norwegian:
mangle
— be without, need, require
Occitan:
mancar
— be without, need, require
Old Church Slavonic:
недостати
(nedostati)
— be without, need, require
Polish:
brakować
— be without, need, require
Polish:
zabraknąć
— be without, need, require
Portuguese:
faltar
— be without, need, require
Portuguese:
carecer
— be without, need, require
Quechua:
muchuy
— be without, need, require
Quechua:
usuy
— be without, need, require
Russian:
отсу́тствовать
(otsútstvovatʹ)
— be without, need, require
Russian:
недостава́ть
(nedostavátʹ)
— be without, need, require
Russian:
недоста́ть
(nedostátʹ)
— be without, need, require
Russian:
нужда́ться
(nuždátʹsja)
— be without, need, require
Sidamo:
hooga
— be without, need, require
Slovak:
chýbať
— be without, need, require
Slovene:
manjkati
— be without, need, require
Spanish:
faltar
— be without, need, require
Spanish:
carecer
— be without, need, require
Spanish:
vacar de
— be without, need, require
Swedish:
sakna
— be without, need, require
Swedish:
fattas
— be without, need, require
Turkish:
yoksun olmak
— be without, need, require
Ukrainian:
бракува́ти
(brakuváty)
— be without, need, require