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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deficient
And micronutrient needs don’t drop when appetite does — GLP-1 users may be deficient in zinc, copper and magnesium per Food Navigator’s Expo West coverage, so eating less doesn’t mean eating smarter automatically.
—
Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
And micronutrient needs don’t drop with appetite; GLP-1 users may be deficient in zinc, copper and magnesium according to Food Navigator’s Expo West coverage.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
Alternating crops that are heavy feeders with light feeders keep soils from becoming nutrient deficient.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Apr. 2026
If muscles remain depleted and incompletely repaired, each practice starts with a deficient muscular system.
—William Jones, Ascend Agency, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 22 Apr. 2026
And micronutrient needs don’t drop with appetite; GLP-1 users may be deficient in zinc, copper and magnesium according to Food Navigator’s Expo West coverage.
—Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2026
Alternating crops that are heavy feeders with light feeders keep soils from becoming nutrient deficient.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Apr. 2026
If muscles remain depleted and incompletely repaired, each practice starts with a deficient muscular system.
—William Jones, Ascend Agency, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
Adjective
-
Late or incomplete entries will be void.—
AJC.com,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
-
Like other defense lawyers, Howard said the FBI’s probe was sloppy and incomplete, noting that Moïse’s body was removed and missing for three days.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
5 May 2026
Adjective
-
Our current contractor’s price proposal and timeline to finish the bridge was unreasonable and unacceptable.—
Katie Thomson,
Baltimore Sun,
6 May 2026
-
What happened was unacceptable.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
With Francisco Lindor, Jorge Polanco and Ronny Mauricio all injured, the options are somewhat lacking.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
On the other hand, the playoffs showed how lacking Atlanta is in some areas.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Wallace and her collaborators scrambled to get into the water; the whale was swimming in the wrong direction, toward some docks.—
Jessica Camille Aguirre,
New Yorker,
2 May 2026
-
What most people get wrong is conflating the theme of the exhibition with the dress code for the evening.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Local advocates say needless removals and inadequate watering are threatening decades of neighborhood cooling and environmental health benefits.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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His grounds for appeal included that Nauru’s medical services were inadequate to treat his severe asthma.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Salt Lake County district attorney’s office and the Draper City prosecutor both declined to file charges against Paul in April, citing insufficient evidence to prove allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office and the Draper City Prosecutor both declined to file charges against Paul in April, citing insufficient evidence to prove allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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And getting all giddy over some lame light beer that has apple juice poured into to is just plain embarrassing.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
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This idea that just sitting with your face buried in your phone when you’re supposed to be in a social setting—that’s lame, right?—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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