adj · noun · verb · 4 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
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/ˈlækɪŋ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:L AE1 K IH0 NG
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Missing or not having enough of (a good quality, etc).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
This cheese is lacking in pungency.
The team was lacking in stamina and lost the match decidedly.
A few of the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle are lacking.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: absent
2
noun
Meaning 2
The absence of something that is desirable or otherwise ought to be present.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: lack
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: absence
3
verb
Meaning 3
present participle and gerund of lack
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
nonexistent
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the thumb is absent
her appetite was lacking
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: absent, missing, wanting
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
mancat
— missing or not having enough of something
Catalan:
desproveït
— missing or not having enough of something
Catalan:
freturós
— missing or not having enough of something
Catalan:
freturosa
— missing or not having enough of something
Chinese Mandarin:
不足
(bùzú)
— missing or not having enough of something
Chinese Mandarin:
缺乏
(quēfá)
— missing or not having enough of something
Chinese Mandarin:
欠缺
(qiànquē)
— missing or not having enough of something
Finnish:
puutteellinen
— missing or not having enough of something
French:
dépourvu
— missing or not having enough of something
German:
but see -los (-less)
— missing or not having enough of something
German:
mangeln
— missing or not having enough of something
German:
mangelhaft
— missing or not having enough of something
Gothic:
𐍅𐌰𐌽𐍃
(wans)
— missing or not having enough of something
Greek:
ελλιπής
(ellipís)
— missing or not having enough of something
Greek:
ανεπαρκής
(aneparkís)
— missing or not having enough of something
Irish:
de dhíth
— missing or not having enough of something
Italian:
sprovvisto
— missing or not having enough of something
Japanese:
いまいち
(imaichi)
— missing or not having enough of something
Latin:
dēlicuus
— missing or not having enough of something
Mansaka:
kolang
— missing or not having enough of something
Middle English:
bareyne
— missing or not having enough of something
Polish:
pozbawiony
— missing or not having enough of something
Portuguese:
desprovido
— missing or not having enough of something
Sanskrit:
ऊन
(ūna)
— missing or not having enough of something
Spanish:
desprovisto [de]
— missing or not having enough of something
Spanish:
falto [de]
— missing or not having enough of something
Spanish:
carente [de]
— missing or not having enough of something
Ottoman Turkish:
اكسیك
(eksik)
— missing or not having enough of something
Ottoman Turkish:
نقصان
(noksan)
— missing or not having enough of something
