sorely lacking

USAGE SUMMARY

"sorely lacking" is correct and usable in written English.
It is an informal way of saying that something is deficient or inadequate. Example sentence: The school's security system was sorely lacking, leaving students vulnerable to theft and attack.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

General Ham and intelligence analysts have complained that such information has been sorely lacking.

The New York Times

Residential housing is sorely lacking.

The New York Times

Justice is sorely lacking in the south.

The Economist

They were sorely lacking in this instance.

The Washington Post

The yay/boo binary is sorely lacking.

The Guardian - Music

Not there's sentiment — humility — sorely lacking from public life.

The Washington Post

It's a trait that is sorely lacking at the moment.

Harvard Business Review

Regrettably, such spaces for fat people are sorely lacking.

The Guardian - Opinion

Those are all sorely lacking in today's Christian right.

The New York Times

All four of those factors have been sorely lacking.

The Guardian - Tech

Yet enthusiasm for children's work is sorely lacking.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "sorely lacking" to emphasize a significant deficiency, where the absence of something has a noticeable negative impact. For instance, "The city is sorely lacking affordable housing options."

Common error

While "sorely lacking" is widely understood, it can sound less professional in formal writing. Opt for alternatives like "seriously inadequate" or "markedly absent" in business reports or academic papers.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sorely lacking" functions as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun to indicate a significant deficiency or absence. Ludwig confirms its proper usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Science

23%

Academia

9%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "sorely lacking" is a widely used adjectival phrase that emphasizes a significant deficiency. As Ludwig AI indicates, it is grammatically correct and suitable for various contexts, though it may be perceived as slightly informal in academic or highly professional settings. While "sorely lacking" is commonly found in News & Media, Science and Academia, alternative phrases such as "greatly deficient", "seriously inadequate", or "woefully insufficient", provide more formal options for expressing a similar meaning. When using "sorely lacking", ensure the context aligns with its informal tone, and focus on highlighting the impactful absence of something crucial.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

seriously inadequate

Substitutes "lacking" with "inadequate", highlighting the insufficiency or unacceptability of something.

greatly deficient

Replaces "sorely lacking" with a more formal adjective, emphasizing the extent of the deficiency.

severely wanting

Uses "wanting" instead of "lacking", indicating a severe absence or shortage.

woefully insufficient

Replaces "sorely" with "woefully" and "lacking" with "insufficient", adding a stronger sense of regret or disappointment.

critically short of

Focuses on a severe shortage, implying that the lack is a critical issue.

badly in need of

Emphasizes the necessity of something that is missing, rather than just stating its absence.

notably missing

Indicates that something's absence is conspicuous or easily noticed.

desperately required

Highlights the urgency and importance of something that is missing.

markedly absent

Focuses on the obvious absence of something, making it clear it's missing.

conspicuously absent

Similar to "notably missing" but emphasizes the obviousness of the absence.

FAQs

What does "sorely lacking" mean?

The phrase "sorely lacking" means that something is severely or greatly deficient; it is missing to a degree that causes distress or difficulty.

What can I say instead of "sorely lacking"?

You can use alternatives like "greatly deficient", "seriously inadequate", or "woefully insufficient" depending on the context.

Is "sorely lacking" too informal for academic writing?

While "sorely lacking" is acceptable in many contexts, it might be perceived as too informal for academic writing. Consider using more formal alternatives such as "markedly absent" or "critically short of".

How to use "sorely lacking" in a sentence?

You can use "sorely lacking" to describe a deficiency. For example: "The team's experience was sorely lacking, leading to several critical errors."