1
as in incomplete
lacking some necessary part
a diet deficient in calcium can lead to weak bones
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
woefully deficient eyesight kept him out of military service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
too deficient in common sense to be trusted to stay by himself
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deficient
Of these, magnesium supplementation may be the most beneficial as it’s estimated that 75% of Americans are currently deficient, and magnesium supplementation is well known to promote calm and support sleep quality.
—
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 21 Feb. 2025
When deficient, plant yields and quality are reduced.
—Dr. Haiying Tao, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2025
Second, laser technology is deficient in energy, efficiency, and is too expensive.
—New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2025
Of course, soil can also be deficient in important nutrients.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 21 Feb. 2025
When deficient, plant yields and quality are reduced.
—Dr. Haiying Tao, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2025
Second, laser technology is deficient in energy, efficiency, and is too expensive.
—New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2025
Of course, soil can also be deficient in important nutrients.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
Adjective
-
Sharp readers will recall that the USSR extended past Russia and Ukraine; this is a vision that is incomplete without looking afield to Estonia, Lithuania (both NATO members) and other former republics.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
15 Mar. 2025
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Trust your gut, particularly when data is inconclusive or incomplete.—
Aslak de Silva,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But for a lot of people following Markle's every move anything other than perfection is unacceptable.—
Alanna Bennett,
refinery29.com,
14 Mar. 2025
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But this false choice that some are buying instead of fighting is unacceptable.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The question of the night is the choice between selling out their souls to the vapid American tourists at the Tropicana nightclub (bad) or singing for their own people on the wrong side of the tracks (good).—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
20 Mar. 2025
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But Nicol isn’t wrong to think that the real entertainment is coming from inside the house, where the spry Gita may love nothing more than to be on camera.—
Stephen Saito,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Aguilar-Hurtado’s family lawsuit also included nine other examples of jail detainees who have accused the jail of providing inadequate medical care.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2025
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Soon, even this inadequate housing began disappearing due ,in part, to real estate development/gentrification and the former hospital patients became homeless.—
Robert M. Hayes,
New York Daily News,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But there is another concerning trend and area that has to be improved — their poor record on second balls.—
Rob Tanner,
The Athletic,
14 Mar. 2025
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Flooding may also occur in poor drainage and urban areas.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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According to the report, in 2023 and 2024, more than half of rejections at the resonable grounds stage were because a referee had ‘insufficient proof,’ as opposed to just 3% in 2022, before the evidence threshold was changed.—
Frey Lindsay,
Forbes,
20 Mar. 2025
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After a police investigation into the allegations, San Bernardino County prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against Labrada, citing insufficient evidence.—
Libor Jany,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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Jayson Tatum kept the Celtics in the game most of the night with 33 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, but Brown had one of his worst games of the year with just 10 points.—
Jay King,
The Athletic,
13 Mar. 2025
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The market, however, believes the opposite: That a trade war is bad, is easy to lose, and could plunge the U.S. into an avoidable recession.—
Rebecca Falconer,
Axios,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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