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Lack synonyms

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need
Necessity or obligation created by some situation
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  1. Necessity or obligation created by some situation
  2. A lack of something useful, required, or desired
  3. A condition or situation in which something must be supplied in order for a certain condition to be maintained or a desired state to be achieved:
shortage
A lack or deficiency.
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  1. A lack or deficiency.
  2. A deficiency in the quantity or amount needed or expected, or the extent of this; deficit
  3. Not enough, not sufficient.
scarcity
The condition or quality of being scarce; inadequate supply; dearth
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  1. The condition or quality of being scarce; inadequate supply; dearth
  2. Insufficiency of amount or supply; shortage:
  3. (Uncountable) the condition of something being scarce or deficient
scarceness
The property of being scarce.
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  1. The property of being scarce.
destitution
The state of being destitute; esp., abject poverty
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  1. The state of being destitute; esp., abject poverty
  2. A deprivation or lack; a deficiency.
  3. Extreme want of resources or the means of subsistence; complete poverty.
absence
The time during which one is away.
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  1. The time during which one is away.
  2. The fact of being without; lack
  3. Lack; want:
dearth
A scarce supply; a lack:
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  1. A scarce supply; a lack:
  2. Shortage of food; famine.
  3. Any scarcity or lack
paucity
Scarcity; dearth; insufficiency
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  1. Scarcity; dearth; insufficiency
  2. Scarcity; dearth:
  3. Fewness; small number
deprivation
The condition of being deprived; privation.
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  1. The condition of being deprived; privation.
  2. (Countable) The taking away from a clergyman of his benefice, or other spiritual promotion or dignity.
  3. (Uncountable) The state of being deprived; privation; loss; want; bereavement.
deficiency
(Geometry) The amount by which the number of double points on a curve is short of the maximum for curves of the same degree.
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  1. (Geometry) The amount by which the number of double points on a curve is short of the maximum for curves of the same degree.
  2. The quality or state of being deficient; absence of something essential; incompleteness
  3. A lack or shortage, especially of something essential to health:
deficit
The amount by which a sum of money falls short of the required or expected amount; a shortage:
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  1. The amount by which a sum of money falls short of the required or expected amount; a shortage:
  2. An amount that quantifies an unfavorable condition or position:
  3. The amount by which a sum of money is less than the required or desired amount; specif., an excess of liabilities over assets, of losses over profits, or of expenditure over income
exiguity
The quality or condition of being scanty or meager.
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  1. The quality or condition of being scanty or meager.
exigency
A pressing or urgent situation:
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  1. A pressing or urgent situation:
  2. A situation calling for immediate action or attention
  3. An urgent requirement; a pressing need:
insufficiency
Lack of sufficiency; deficiency; inadequacy
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  1. Lack of sufficiency; deficiency; inadequacy
  2. The lack of sufficiency; a shortage or inadequacy.
  3. Inability or failure of an organ or tissue to perform its normal function
inadequacy
An instance of being inadequate; a failing or lack.
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  1. An instance of being inadequate; a failing or lack.
  2. A lack of competence or ability.
  3. A shortage of required material.
privation
Lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life:
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  1. Lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life:
  2. Lack of the ordinary necessities of life
  3. The condition of being without a specified quality or attribute:
poverty
Deficiency in necessary properties or desirable qualities, or in a specific quality, etc.; inadequacy
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  1. Deficiency in necessary properties or desirable qualities, or in a specific quality, etc.; inadequacy
  2. Renunciation made by a member of a religious order of the right to own property.
  3. The condition or quality of being poor; indigence; need
distress
Physical deterioration, as of a highway, caused by hard use over time:
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  1. Physical deterioration, as of a highway, caused by hard use over time:
  2. The act of distraining another’s property. See also distrain. The act of distraining another’s property. See also distrain.
  3. The condition of being in need of immediate assistance:
scantiness
(Uncountable) The quality of being scanty.
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  1. (Uncountable) The quality of being scanty.
  2. (Countable) The result or product of being scanty.
need
A lack of something useful, required, or desired
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  1. A lack of something useful, required, or desired
  2. A condition of poverty or misfortune:
  3. A condition of poverty, or extreme want
decrease
Amount of decreasing
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  1. Amount of decreasing
  2. The act or process of decreasing.
  3. The amount by which something decreases.
want
Something desired:
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  1. Something desired:
  2. A wish or desire for something; craving
  3. Pressing need; destitution:
loss
The amount of something lost:
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  1. The amount of something lost:
  2. The condition of being deprived or bereaved of something or someone:
  3. The damage, trouble, disadvantage, deprivation, etc. caused by losing something
depletion
The act or process of depleting.
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  1. The act or process of depleting.
  2. The act of drawing out in its entirety, or using up, money or of a nonrenewable resource such as oil. The act of drawing out in its entirety, or using up, money or of a nonrenewable resource such as oil.
  3. The use or consumption of a resource, especially a natural resource, faster than it is replenished.
shrinkage
The act or process of shrinking; contraction in size, as of a fabric in washing
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  1. The act or process of shrinking; contraction in size, as of a fabric in washing
  2. The total loss in weight of livestock from the time of shipment to the final processing as meat
  3. The act of shrinking, or the proportion by which something shrinks.
shortage
A lack or deficiency.
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  1. A lack or deficiency.
  2. A deficiency in the quantity or amount needed or expected, or the extent of this; deficit
  3. Not enough, not sufficient.
shortness
(Uncountable) The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief.
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  1. (Uncountable) The property of being short, of being small of stature or brief.
  2. (Countable) The result or product of being short.
short-fall
Alternative spelling of shortfall.
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  1. Alternative spelling of shortfall.
shortcoming
A deficiency; a flaw.
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  1. A deficiency; a flaw.
  2. A falling short of what is expected or required; defect or deficiency
abridgment
The act of abridging or the state of being abridged.
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  1. The act of abridging or the state of being abridged.
  2. An abridged written text.
  3. An abridged form, as of a book
defect
An imperfection or lack that causes inadequacy or failure; a shortcoming or deficiency.
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  1. An imperfection or lack that causes inadequacy or failure; a shortcoming or deficiency.
  2. An error or flaw in a process or product, affecting performance and potentially causing harm; a shortcoming in a legal document that may lead to its invalidity, or in a pleading that may lead to its dismissal. An error or flaw in a process or product, affecting performance and potentially causing harm; a shortcoming in a legal document that may lead to its invalidity, or in a pleading that may lead to its dismissal.
  3. Lack of something necessary for completeness; deficiency; shortcoming
meagerness
(US) The state of being meager.
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  1. (US) The state of being meager.
scantiness
(Uncountable) The quality of being scanty.
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  1. (Uncountable) The quality of being scanty.
  2. (Countable) The result or product of being scanty.
inferiority
The quality of being a competitive disadvantage.
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  1. The quality of being a competitive disadvantage.
  2. The quality or state of being inferior.
paucity
Scarcity; dearth; insufficiency
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  1. Scarcity; dearth; insufficiency
  2. Scarcity; dearth:
  3. Fewness; small number
stint
Any of various small sandpipers, as the little stint (Calidris minuta)
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  1. Any of various small sandpipers, as the little stint (Calidris minuta)
  2. An assigned task or quantity of work
  3. A length of time spent in a particular way, especially doing a job or fulfilling a duty:
retrenchment
A rampart or breastwork within the main fortification
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  1. A rampart or breastwork within the main fortification
  2. A retrenching; esp., a reduction of expenses
  3. A cutting down or back; reduction.
reduction
The amount by which anything is reduced
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  1. The amount by which anything is reduced
  2. The result of reducing:
  3. Anything made or brought about by reducing, as a smaller copy, lowered price, sauce of concentrated liquid, etc.
need
To be necessary.
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  1. To be necessary.
  2. To be necessary; chiefly in impersonal or subjunctive constructions
  3. To be in need or want.
want
To wish to see or speak with (someone)
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  1. To wish to see or speak with (someone)
  2. To have a need or lack
  3. To be inclined or desirous; wish:
require
To call for as necessary or appropriate
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  1. To call for as necessary or appropriate
  2. To have as a requisite or necessity; need or depend on:
  3. To be in need of; need
defect
An error or flaw in a process or product, affecting performance and potentially causing harm; a shortcoming in a legal document that may lead to its invalidity, or in a pleading that may lead to its dismissal. An error or flaw in a process or product, affecting performance and potentially causing harm; a shortcoming in a legal document that may lead to its invalidity, or in a pleading that may lead to its dismissal.
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  1. An error or flaw in a process or product, affecting performance and potentially causing harm; a shortcoming in a legal document that may lead to its invalidity, or in a pleading that may lead to its dismissal. An error or flaw in a process or product, affecting performance and potentially causing harm; a shortcoming in a legal document that may lead to its invalidity, or in a pleading that may lead to its dismissal.
  2. Lack of something necessary for completeness; deficiency; shortcoming
  3. An imperfection or lack that causes inadequacy or failure; a shortcoming or deficiency.
deficiency
The quality or state of being deficient; absence of something essential; incompleteness
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  1. The quality or state of being deficient; absence of something essential; incompleteness
  2. (Geometry) The amount by which the number of double points on a curve is short of the maximum for curves of the same degree.
  3. A lack or shortage, especially of something essential to health:
deficit
Inadequacy or insufficiency:
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  1. Inadequacy or insufficiency:
  2. An amount that quantifies an unfavorable condition or position:
  3. A deficiency or impairment in mental or physical functioning.
inadequacy
An instance of being inadequate; a failing or lack.
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  1. An instance of being inadequate; a failing or lack.
  2. A shortage of required material.
  3. A lack of competence or ability.
insufficiency
The quality or state of being insufficient, especially:
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  1. The quality or state of being insufficient, especially:
  2. Inability or failure of an organ or tissue to perform its normal function
  3. Lack of sufficiency; deficiency; inadequacy
paucity
Scarcity; dearth:
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  1. Scarcity; dearth:
  2. Fewness; small number
  3. Scarcity; dearth; insufficiency
poverty
Deficiency in amount; scantiness:
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  1. Deficiency in amount; scantiness:
  2. The state of being poor; lack of the means of providing material needs or comforts.
  3. Deficiency in necessary properties or desirable qualities, or in a specific quality, etc.; inadequacy
scantiness
(Uncountable) The quality of being scanty.
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  1. (Uncountable) The quality of being scanty.
  2. (Countable) The result or product of being scanty.
scantness
The property of being scant.
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  1. The property of being scant.
scarcity
Rarity; uncommonness
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  1. Rarity; uncommonness
  2. The condition or quality of being scarce; inadequate supply; dearth
  3. Insufficiency of amount or supply; shortage:
shortage
Not enough, not sufficient.
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  1. Not enough, not sufficient.
  2. A deficiency in the quantity or amount needed or expected, or the extent of this; deficit
  3. A lack or deficiency.
shortcoming
A falling short of what is expected or required; defect or deficiency
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  1. A falling short of what is expected or required; defect or deficiency
  2. A deficiency; a flaw.
shortfall
The act or an instance of falling short, or the amount of the shortage
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  1. The act or an instance of falling short, or the amount of the shortage
  2. A failure to attain a specified amount or level; a shortage.
  3. The amount by which a supply falls short of expectation, need, or demand.
underage
A deficient amount; a shortfall.
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  1. A deficient amount; a shortfall.
  2. A deficit or shortfall in funds, inventory, or capacity.
  3. A shortage; insufficiency
absence
The fact of being without; lack
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  1. The fact of being without; lack
  2. The time during which one is away.
  3. Lack; want:
dearth
A scarce supply; a lack:
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  1. A scarce supply; a lack:
  2. Shortage of food; famine.
  3. Any scarcity or lack
want
Something desired:
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  1. Something desired:
  2. A wish or desire for something; craving
  3. A personification of want.
need
To be necessary.
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  1. To be necessary.
  2. To be necessary; chiefly in impersonal or subjunctive constructions
  3. To be in need or want.
require
To call for as necessary or appropriate
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  1. To call for as necessary or appropriate
  2. To have as a requisite or necessity; need or depend on:
  3. To be in need of; need
want
To wish to see or speak with (someone)
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  1. To wish to see or speak with (someone)
  2. To have a need or lack
  3. To be inclined or desirous; wish:

Synonym Study

  • Require emphasizes even more strongly imperative need, connoting that what is needed is indispensable his work requires great powers of concentration
  • Want (in this sense, chiefly British) and need stress the urgency of supplying what is lacking this matter needs, or wants, immediate attention
  • Lack implies an absence or insufficiency of something essential or desired she lacks experience
Find another word for lack. In this page you can discover 75 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for lack, like: need, shortage, scarcity, scarceness, destitution, absence, dearth, paucity, deprivation, deficiency and deficit.

Sentence Examples

  • The lack of security is unsettling.

  • All I lack is a playmate to call my own.

  • At least he couldn't blame her for any lack of attention this time.

  • Besides, her lack of response in the past had been far more effective.

  • His voice was raspy from his own lack of sleep.

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Words near lack in the Thesaurus