lack

The word “lack” means the absence or shortage of something needed or wanted. In plain terms, not having something, or not having enough of it.

“Lack” is pronounced lak (/læk/ in IPA).

Here is “lack” used in a sentence: “The delay was caused by a lack of funding.”

Words with a similar meaning to “lack” include dearth, deficiency, deficit, dejection, inadequacy and infrequency.

The opposite of “lack” — its antonyms — are adequacy and excess.

Depending on how it is used, “lack” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “lack” comes from Old English. From Old English *læc, related to Germanic words for "slackness" or "deficiency.".

“Lack” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

These sound-alikes are unrelated. 'Lack' is a noun (or verb) meaning an absence or shortage of something. 'Lax' is an adjective meaning loose, slack, or not strict. 'Lac' is a resin secreted by insects, used to make shellac. Only 'lack' concerns something missing.

A lack can mean a complete absence — having none of something at all — or simply not enough. A shortage specifically means there is some, but less than is needed. So you can lack experience entirely, whereas a water shortage means water exists but supply falls short of demand.

The opposite of lack is abundance or plenty — having as much of something as you need, or more. Words like 'surplus,' 'wealth,' and 'excess' also stand against it. Where lack points to something missing, these point to a full or overflowing supply.

'A lack of sleep left her exhausted' shows something needed in short supply. 'The plan failed for lack of funding' points to a missing resource. In each case, 'lack' names the gap between what was needed or wanted and what was actually there.