1
as in incomplete
lacking some necessary part
a diet deficient in calcium can lead to weak bones
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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
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of deficient
This Tuesday's particular presidential election is also the most important election of our lifetimes for a simple additional reason: Harris is the most ideologically left-wing, intellectually deficient, and wildly unprepared presidential candidate in the nation's history.
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Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
In the early seventies, when addicts were viewed as criminals or morally deficient, Gruppo Abele became a nonjudgmental refuge for homeless people and juvenile offenders.
—D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
The reality is, social teams are typically rich in youth and deficient in training and mentorship.
—Stephanie Schafer, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
Maintaining optimal magnesium levels is critical for blood sugar regulation, and having low or deficient magnesium intake can contribute to poor glycemic control.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deficient 
Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
In the early seventies, when addicts were viewed as criminals or morally deficient, Gruppo Abele became a nonjudgmental refuge for homeless people and juvenile offenders.
—D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024
The reality is, social teams are typically rich in youth and deficient in training and mentorship.
—Stephanie Schafer, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
Maintaining optimal magnesium levels is critical for blood sugar regulation, and having low or deficient magnesium intake can contribute to poor glycemic control.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 2 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
Adjective
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City officials have declared the project application was incomplete — which the developer denies — and the issue could become fodder for state intervention or lawsuits.Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2024
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This stagnation is partly due to the lengthy delivery times for these facilities, meaning many of the largest projects are still incomplete.Courtney Fingar, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This time difference is unacceptable and the cause of many breaches.Austin Gadient, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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During Tuesday’s meeting, board members agreed that Morris’ remark was unacceptable.Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Six people, including two children, are dead after a person driving a pickup truck the wrong way on a Mississippi highway collided with a car.Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024
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Available in a wide array of waist sizes from S to 3XL, this adjustable belt — which has seven holes — is almost hard to go wrong in terms of sizing.Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Deputies discovered numerous cats and dogs living in unsanitary and unsafe conditions, with inadequate food, water and ventilation.Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 10 Dec. 2024
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Often, underperformance is rooted in commercial challenges—poor go-to-market capabilities, weak differentiation, inadequate sales talent, lack of a SalesTech infrastructure, or insufficient understanding of market conditions, as the latest CMO Survey has shown.Julian Villanueva, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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So this poor kid [who finished in last], this single guy, for a year had to have a Fathead of his buddy in boxers, a giant life-size Fathead above his bed.Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
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The cub was also hairless and found in poor condition.Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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So far this fall, Milwaukee DNS has seen a 35% increase in complaints from last year about landlords providing no heat or insufficient heat, WITI-TV (Channel 6) and WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) reported.Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 8 Dec. 2024
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In the previous tournament format, nine points from six matches were insufficient for Shakhtar Donetsk to escape Group H in 2023/24.Henry Flynn, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
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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If anything, the living conditions seemed to get worse.Chris Quintana, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
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That's not a bad stat to have on your Challenge resumé.Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near deficient
Cite this Entry
“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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