lack

L0005900 (lăk)n.1. Deficiency or absence: Lack of funding brought the project to a halt.2. A particular deficiency or absence: Owing to a lack of supporters, the reforms did not succeed.v. lacked, lack·ing, lacks v.tr. To be without or in need of: lacked the strength to lift the box.v.intr.1. To be missing or deficient: We suspected that he was lying, but proof was lacking.2. To be in need of something: She does not lack for friends.

[Middle English, perhaps from Middle Dutch lac, deficiency, fault.]Usage Note: When lack is used in the sense "to be wanting or deficient," it is typically followed by in: You will not be lacking in support from me. When lack is used in the sense of "to be in need of something," it is often followed by for: "In the terrible, beautiful age of my prime, / I lacked for sweet linen but never for time" (E.B. White).

lack

(læk) n1. an insufficiency, shortage, or absence of something required or desired2. something that is required but is absent or in short supplyvb (when: intr, often foll by in or for) to be deficient (in) or have need (of): to lack purpose. [C12: related to Middle Dutch laken to be wanting]

lack

(læk)
n. 1. deficiency or absence of something needed or desirable: lack of money; lack of skill. 2. something missing or wanted: After he left, they really felt the lack. v.t. 3. to be without; have need of: You lack common sense. 4. to fall short in respect of: He lacks three votes to win. v.i. 5. to be absent or missing: Nothing lacks but their full agreement. 6. to have a scarcity of something: She will never lack for friends. [1125–75; Middle English lak; c. Middle Low German lak, Middle Dutch lac deficiency; akin to Old Norse lakr deficient] syn: lack, want, need, require indicate the absence of something desirable, important, or necessary. lack means to be without or to have less than a desirable quantity of something: to lack courage; to lack sufficient money. want stresses the urgency of fulfilling a desire or providing what is lacking: The room wants some final touch to make it homey. need suggests even more urgency, stressing the necessity of supplying something essential: to need an operation. require has a similar sense, although it is used in formal or serious contexts: The report requires some editing.

lack

Lack can be a noun or a verb.

1. used as a noun

If there is a lack of something, there is not enough of it, or it does not exist at all.

I hated the lack of privacy in the hostel.2. used as a verb

If someone or something lacks a quality, they do not have it.

Often new mothers lack confidence in their ability to look after their newborn baby properly.Our little car lacked the power to pass other cars.

Be Careful!
Don't say that someone or something 'lacks of a quality'.

Be Careful!
You can't use a passive form of 'lack'. Don't say, for example, 'Resources are lacked in this school'. Say 'This school lacks resources.'

lack

Past participle: lacked
Gerund: lacking

Imperative
lack
lack

Present
I lack
you lack
he/she/it lacks
we lack
you lack
they lack

Preterite
I lacked
you lacked
he/she/it lacked
we lacked
you lacked
they lacked

Present Continuous
I am lacking
you are lacking
he/she/it is lacking
we are lacking
you are lacking
they are lacking

Present Perfect
I have lacked
you have lacked
he/she/it has lacked
we have lacked
you have lacked
they have lacked

Past Continuous
I was lacking
you were lacking
he/she/it was lacking
we were lacking
you were lacking
they were lacking

Past Perfect
I had lacked
you had lacked
he/she/it had lacked
we had lacked
you had lacked
they had lacked

Future
I will lack
you will lack
he/she/it will lack
we will lack
you will lack
they will lack

Future Perfect
I will have lacked
you will have lacked
he/she/it will have lacked
we will have lacked
you will have lacked
they will have lacked

Future Continuous
I will be lacking
you will be lacking
he/she/it will be lacking
we will be lacking
you will be lacking
they will be lacking

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been lacking
you have been lacking
he/she/it has been lacking
we have been lacking
you have been lacking
they have been lacking

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been lacking
you will have been lacking
he/she/it will have been lacking
we will have been lacking
you will have been lacking
they will have been lacking

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been lacking
you had been lacking
he/she/it had been lacking
we had been lacking
you had been lacking
they had been lacking

Conditional
I would lack
you would lack
he/she/it would lack
we would lack
you would lack
they would lack

Past Conditional
I would have lacked
you would have lacked
he/she/it would have lacked
we would have lacked
you would have lacked
they would have lacked

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	lack - the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable; "there is a serious lack of insight into the problem"; "water is the critical deficiency in desert regions"; "for want of a nail the shoe was lost"deficiency, wantabsence - the state of being absent; "he was surprised by the absence of any explanation"need, demand - a condition requiring relief; "she satisfied his need for affection"; "God has no need of men to accomplish His work"; "there is a demand for jobs"dearth, famine, shortage - an acute insufficiencydeficit - a deficiency or failure in neurological or mental functioning; "the people concerned have a deficit in verbal memory"; "they have serious linguistic deficits"mineral deficiency - lack of a mineral micronutrient that is essential for normal nutrition or metabolismshortness - the condition of being short of something; "there was no shortness of money"; "can cause shortness of breath"stringency, tightness - a state occasioned by scarcity of money and a shortage of credit
Verb	1.	lack - be without; "This soup lacks salt"; "There is something missing in my jewelry box!"misswant - be without, lack; be deficient in; "want courtesy"; "want the strength to go on living"; "flood victims wanting food and shelter"exclude - lack or fail to include; "The cost for the trip excludes food and beverages"

lack

noun1. shortage, want, absence, deficiency, need, shortcoming, deprivation, inadequacy, scarcity, dearth, privation, shortness, destitution, insufficiency, scantiness Despite his lack of experience, he got the job.
shortage excess, surplus, abundance, sufficiency, adequacy, plentifulnessverb1. miss, want, need, require, not have, be without, be short of, be in need of, be deficient in It lacked the power of the Italian cars.
miss have, own, enjoy, possess

lack

noun1. The condition or fact of being deficient:defect, deficiency, deficit, inadequacy, insufficiency, paucity, poverty, scantiness, scantness, scarceness, scarcity, shortage, shortcoming, shortfall, underage.2. The condition of lacking a needed or usual amount:absence, dearth, want.verbTo be without what is needed, required, or essential:need, require, want.

Translations

缺乏不足没有短缺

lack

(lӕk) verb to have too little or none of. He lacked the courage to join the army.缺乏 noun the state of not having any or enough. our lack of money. 没有，缺乏，短缺，不足 be lacking (with in) 1. to be without or not to have enough. He is lacking in intelligence.没有2. to be absent; to be present in too little an amount. Money for the project is not lacking but enthusiasm is. 缺乏，不足

lack

→ 缺乏zhCN

lack

lack the courage of (one's) convictions

To not have the confidence to act or behave in accordance with one's beliefs or ideologies, especially in the face of resistance, criticism, or persecution. The governor was presented with a bribe to help the corporation avoid regulation, and she accepted it because she lacked the courage of her convictions.See also: conviction, courage, lack, of

not for (a) lack of trying

Despite putting forth a significant amount of effort or energy. A: "So, did he get you to go on a date with him?" B: "No. Not for lack of trying, mind you." I'm sorry your team lost, but it wasn't for a lack of trying!See also: lack, not, of, trying

lack for (something)

To lack something one or something wants or requires, or would benefit from. You don't need to get me anything for my birthday, Mom—I really lack for nothing. The only thing he lacks for is the motivation to put his skills to goof use.See also: lack

lack for something

to lack something. We don't lack for new ideas. We lack for nothing, thank you.See also: lack

have/lack the courage of your conˈvictions

be/not be brave enough to do what you believe to be right: You say that cruelty to animals is wrong, so why not have the courage of your convictions and join our campaign?See also: conviction, courage, have, lack, of

not for lack/want of ˈtrying

used to say that although somebody has not succeeded in something, they have tried very hard: He’s had no success in finding a job, though not for lack of trying.See also: lack, not, of, trying, want

lack for

v. To be in need of something or someone. Used chiefly in the negative: She is very popular and does not lack for friends. Because he's rich, he doesn't lack for luxuries.See also: lack

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lack

lack the courage of (one's) convictions

not for (a) lack of trying

lack for (something)

lack for something

have/lack the courage of your conˈvictions

not for lack/want of ˈtrying

lack for

LACK

lack

Synonyms for lack

noun shortage

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verb miss

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Synonyms for lack

noun the condition or fact of being deficient

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noun the condition of lacking a needed or usual amount

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verb to be without what is needed, required, or essential

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Synonyms for lack

noun the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable

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Related Words

verb be without

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