lack
lack — noun
1. the situation when something that is needed or expected is absent or available o
the situation when something that is needed or expected is absent or available only in a smaller amount than required — for example, a region suffering from a lack of rain, or a team losing because of a lack of preparation.
The project failed due to a lack of funding from investors.
collocation: due to a lack of [resource]
Many children in rural Kenya suffer from a lack of clean drinking water.
collocation: suffer from a lack of [something]
Nila's lack of experience showed clearly during her first week on the job.
There is a serious lack of affordable housing in the city centre.
- shortage
more concrete; used when there is a measurable, often smaller amount than needed (e.g. food shortage, staff shortage)
- absence
stronger — implies something is completely missing rather than just insufficient
- deficiency
more formal; often used in medical or technical contexts
文法句型
a/the lack of [something]
for lack of [something]
no lack of [something]
用法筆記
Always followed by 'of' when describing what is missing. The phrase 'for lack of' means 'because there is not enough of' and often appears in formal or written English.
常見錯誤
lack — verb
1. to be missing something that people depend on, or to have too small an amount of
to be missing something that people depend on, or to have too small an amount of it — for instance, lacking the courage to speak in public, or a dish that is bland because it needs more salt.
Theo lacks the confidence to speak in front of large groups.
pattern: lacks [the] + abstract noun + to-infinitive
The report lacks important details about the company's financial situation.
Salma's cooking lacks the spice that her grandmother's recipes had.
Many small businesses lack the resources to compete with large corporations.
文法句型
lack + noun phrase
lack + noun phrase + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Unlike the noun form, the verb 'lack' is NOT followed by 'of'. Simply say 'lack [something]'. This verb is typically not used in the passive (e.g. '~is lacked~' is incorrect). In informal British English, 'be lacking in' is sometimes used instead: 'She is lacking in confidence.'