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
How the Braves unraveled In hindsight, the Atlanta Braves’ offseason looks rather deficient.
—
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 July 2025
On appeal the Circuit Court ordered the Zoning Board to reconsider the case again, finding the Board’s second decision also legally deficient.
—Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2025
Half the studios at the Bakehouse were vacant, few artists were paying any rent, and the building was declared structurally deficient by the city.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 20 June 2025
Pennsylvania is second in the nation in structurally deficient bridges, according to data collected by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.
—Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 11 July 2025
On appeal the Circuit Court ordered the Zoning Board to reconsider the case again, finding the Board’s second decision also legally deficient.
—Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 10 July 2025
Half the studios at the Bakehouse were vacant, few artists were paying any rent, and the building was declared structurally deficient by the city.
—Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 20 June 2025
Pennsylvania is second in the nation in structurally deficient bridges, according to data collected by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association.
—Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
Adjective
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This stems from outdated assumptions and an incomplete understanding of what Ph.D. training entails.—
Leadership Brainery,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Wilson then threw an incomplete pass, to nobody in particular...—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The unexpected adverse media campaign that was launched by those who resigned on 24 March 2025 has caused incalculable damage and offers a glimpse of the unacceptable behaviors displayed in private.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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While Led Zeppelin would have benefited greatly from Reid’s singing, songwriting and distinctive guitar work, being in that barnstorming band would have placed unacceptable artistic restraints on him.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The religion is wrong, the technology is wrong, the agriculture is wrong, the attitude is wrong.—
Fiction Non Fiction
August 7,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
-
For those really feeling that boozy Brewers magic, picking the wrong sister — and overlooking the shuttles' different colors, bar name and pick-up location — would mean a 30-minute walk to the correct bar after getting dropped off.—
Kylie Volavongsa,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The city’s famous fog hung over everything and the chilly air sliced through our inadequate summer clothing.—
Emma Sloley
August 14,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
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The decision comes weeks after the Trump administration suspended some $584 million in federal grants for the school, roughly a third of which are from the National Science Foundation, due to claims of inadequate handling of antisemitism on campus.—
Kimmy Yam,
NBC news,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Specifically, poor capital allocation decisions have destroyed significant value.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
16 Aug. 2025
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Additionally, over-saturating with water is a poor choice for these floors.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Associated Press in 2021 investigated how the technology landed a Chicago grandfather in jail after it was used as evidence to charge him with murder, with a judge later dismissing the case due to insufficient evidence.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Aug. 2025
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The case was dismissed in July due to insufficient evidence, according to court records.—
Emma Moon,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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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The user revolt got so bad that OpenAI brought back the previous GPT-4o model as an option in an attempt to calm things down.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 Aug. 2025
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Not bad for a company built on the back of a $40 plastic-cased watch!—
Oren Hartov,
Robb Report,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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