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
Caltrans has also deemed six city vehicular bridges structurally deficient, but city officials stress that doesn’t mean those bridges are in danger of collapsing or need emergency repairs.
—
David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2026
That’s what health experts now advise, because statistics reveal the sorry fact that 95% of people are deficient in this essential dietary food.
—Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 29 May 2026
Prices of crude oil, a key resource for energy-deficient Europe, slipped and were on track for their first weekly drop in two months.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 29 May 2026
But Russian forces have also proven extraordinarily deficient.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deficient
David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2026
That’s what health experts now advise, because statistics reveal the sorry fact that 95% of people are deficient in this essential dietary food.
—Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 29 May 2026
Prices of crude oil, a key resource for energy-deficient Europe, slipped and were on track for their first weekly drop in two months.
—Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 29 May 2026
But Russian forces have also proven extraordinarily deficient.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
Adjective
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Even in school districts with strong policies protecting recess, 60% of schools still withheld it for poor behavior and 69% withheld it for incomplete academic work.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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The description is not so much wrong as incomplete, ignoring centuries of migration, adaptation, and creativity in favor of a single mid-20th-century snapshot.—
Ashley Rose Young,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Warsh called that unacceptable and kept saying so.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
17 June 2026
-
This proposal is utterly unacceptable.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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Of those lacking space, dozens of schools have a solution in place — such as an annex that’s already planned, a capital project that’s already sited, or excess space in a building with several schools that can be reallocated — according to the plan.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
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Coaches and teammates have struggled to remain in contact with him, and AIyuk’s rare social media posts have been both cryptic and lacking clues about his football ambitions.—
Caelyn Pender,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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But the truth may be that Anthropic is wrong about Mythos’ dangers, and that the government is taking a drastic action that could potentially hurt the US in the technology race with China.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
13 June 2026
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But it was soon revealed that the actors were given the wrong envelope by accountants from Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the firm charged with counting Oscar votes, keeping the results secret and organizing and handing out envelopes to presenters.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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Eligibility to live in the development is open to those who don’t own a home or who live in inadequate housing.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
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But Moreno said her rec centers have huge needs, citing the lack of a scoreboard at Montgomery-Waller and inadequate dugouts at Memorial’s ballpark.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
These conditions can increase your vulnerability to adverse effects from poor air quality.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
16 June 2026
-
Equating the Holocaust to Gaza is in extremely poor taste.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Diving a little deeper, men outpace women, and insufficient sleep is particularly prevalent among older adults aged 45 to 64.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
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For instance, a patient may arrive at the hospital only to find insufficient physician coverage.—
Jocelyn Mitchell-Williams,
STAT,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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In November 2008 an errant air strike, conducted under auspices of a lame-duck Bush administration, killed 37 civilians who were at a wedding party in Wech Baghtu, Afghanistan.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
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At supper the guides exchanged significant glances across the fire and acted like a couple of guys who have picked a lame horse.—
Fred Bear,
Outdoor Life,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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