1
as in incomplete
lacking some necessary part
a diet deficient in calcium can lead to weak bones
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deficient
Finally, a doctor realized that Harvey, who had become a vegetarian a few years before, wasn’t getting enough protein and was deficient in a number of vitamins.
—
Les Carpenter, Washington Post, 31 July 2024
There’s a bit of research to suggest that being chronically deficient in magnesium can, in fact, raise your risk of poor sleep or a sleep disorder (like insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness), perhaps by interfering with your circadian rhythm (a.k.a.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 26 Sep. 2024
Most of the vitamins and minerals on this list are ones that certain people are at risk of becoming deficient in (e.g. iron for menstruating people or vitamin B12 for people following a vegan diet).
—Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Verywell Health, 13 Sep. 2024
Several European scientists famously created a GMO rice in the 1990s that produces beta carotene, which the human body converts to Vitamin A, an essential nutrient that is deficient in 125 million children worldwide.
—Juergen Eckhardt, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deficient 
Les Carpenter, Washington Post, 31 July 2024
There’s a bit of research to suggest that being chronically deficient in magnesium can, in fact, raise your risk of poor sleep or a sleep disorder (like insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness), perhaps by interfering with your circadian rhythm (a.k.a.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 26 Sep. 2024
Most of the vitamins and minerals on this list are ones that certain people are at risk of becoming deficient in (e.g. iron for menstruating people or vitamin B12 for people following a vegan diet).
—Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Verywell Health, 13 Sep. 2024
Several European scientists famously created a GMO rice in the 1990s that produces beta carotene, which the human body converts to Vitamin A, an essential nutrient that is deficient in 125 million children worldwide.
—Juergen Eckhardt, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
Adjective
-
The drive nearly ended a few plays earlier when Joe Burrow was picked off, but the potential interception was overturned to incomplete on replay.NBC News, NBC News, 8 Nov. 2024
-
Even chalking the election entirely up to inflation seems rather convenient and incomplete.Vox Staff, Vox, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
And there's a lengthy list of unacceptable offenses that can get people ejected or even banned from venues.Felecia Wellington Radel, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
-
Common among those individuals worthy of the exalted appellation is a temptation to vacate, in view of unacceptable compromise, the industry’s fraught financial space.Jeff Gibson, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
This should not have been a problem as such, but not every country switches DST at the same time, meaning that when 70 countries change to daylight saving time and 125 don’t, 64% of time zone indications will be wrong.Sophie Furley, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
-
While his mom and dad knew something was wrong, doctors said Elijah was fine — then he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
In April, Inspector General Christi Grimm defended her office’s work in congressional testimony but also asserted that its resources are inadequate.Peter Elkind, ProPublica, 13 Nov. 2024
-
Acero said in a statement to the Tribune that the schools are closing due to insufficient funding, a lack of enrollment and inadequate spaces to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Trump, for one thing, had a favorable set of issues behind him and the Republican Party: Biden had seen poor favorability and approval ratings throughout his term in office, despite scoring several legislative wins, including a bipartisan infrastructure deal that had previously eluded Trump.Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024
-
Basically that poor enforcement had bred serious disrespect for the law, or at least a misunderstanding of it.Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
The number is increasing and the resources are insufficient to meet the demand.Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
-
The company expects its current cash resources to be insufficient for the next 12 months.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.Kevin Fisher-Paulson, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 June 2021
-
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
-
Zach Wilson’s younger brother settled in as the game progressed, but then threw a bad INT in the fourth to end Utah’s comeback attempt.Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
-
As the screw twists and turns, the Broken Rock, led on the show by the Chairman Thomas Rainwater, find themselves on both the dealing and receiving ends of bad land deals and villainous behavior from local and out-of-state actors.Ryleigh Nucilli, Outside Online, 14 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near deficient
Cite this Entry
“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share