He was lacking in confidence.lackinglack‧ing /ˈlækɪŋ/ ●●○ adjective [not before noun] 
He was lacking in confidence. She seems to be entirely lacking in intelligence. The new designs have all been found lacking in some important way.2if something that you need or want is lacking, it does not exist: Financial backing for the project is still lacking. These qualities are sadly lacking today.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Porter said his golf game is definitely lacking.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY He was lacking in confidence. The new designs have all been found lacking in some important way. These qualities are sadly lacking today.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Courage is a quality that is sorely lacking in world leaders today.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
1not having enough of something or any of itlacking in He was lacking in confidence. The new designs have all been found lacking in some important way. These qualities are sadly lacking today.· A lot of new buildings lack charm.
· She lacked the confidence to talk to people.
· The new regime lacked credibility from the start.
Courage is a quality that is sorely lacking in world leaders today.· Nagel identifies four classes of situation in which the agent might plausibly be regarded as lacking control.· Tests which are not based upon adequate linguistic descriptions must be regarded as lacking in construct validity.· No longer did he see them as lacking in intelligence.
· But I feel terribly tired and completely lacking in self-confidence.· Even basic necessities, such as pencils and paper, were often completely lacking.· Yet neither was completely lacking in political sense.· On the other hand, while the Web may be vibrant and fresh, it is also completely lacking in quality control.
· Information on a teacher's classroom ability is almost entirely lacking.· Refined white sugar is also entirely lacking in nutrients and adds nothing to our diet. 6.· A cooling-off period does not guarantee success, but it offers a degree of public protection which at present is entirely lacking.· This does not mean that they were entirely lacking, as will be seen later.
· Classes or discussion groups on women's writing command an enthusiastic response that is often lacking in mainstream teaching.· Their regime will embrace education and training but also provide the affection often lacking in offenders' homes.· Sadly, space is often lacking for the ideal secret garden.· Prejudice is by definition a strongly held view, often lacking flexibility.· This should be a feature of all powerful machines, but is often lacking.
· Adequate resources and funding, both sadly lacking at present, are also vital.· What is sadly lacking is the will to express such views and to act on them.· It turns itself off if you leave it untouched for five minutes, a feature sadly lacking on the GameBoy.· Your sister Alice was sadly lacking in that respect.· As a lover he is sadly lacking, señorita.· Again the evidence is sadly lacking, not only for the centres but also for the estates themselves.· Their kind was sadly lacking in Nikol'skaia volost' in 1922.· But one thing I do find sadly lacking is a middle-of-the-range clothes shop.
· They may be so lacking in confidence that they avoid playing with boys and girls their own age.
· He is a television journalist, recently divorced, intelligent, good with women, somewhat lacking in confidence.· All lively stuff, like day one, if somewhat lacking in bottom.
· Are you quite mad, as well as totally lacking in any of the trappings of civilised society?· The bottom of the pyramid is chaotic and almost totally lacking in infrastructure.· Moreover, any growth in numbers was often much less apparent, sometimes totally lacking, in the smaller states.· Henry Livings describes the character of Valentine Brose as' pale and totally lacking in human fire.· To prove I wasn't totally lacking in appeal, I suppose.
He was lacking in confidence. She seems to be entirely lacking in intelligence. The new designs have all been found lacking in some important way.2if something that you need or want is lacking, it does not exist: Financial backing for the project is still lacking. These qualities are sadly lacking today.