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
If a person is not deficient in iron, too much iron can cause significant problems.5
3.
—
Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 23 June 2025
Noted: Nearly 1 in 4 Americans is deficient in Vitamin D.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 17 June 2025
This Sun team is simply deficient on both ends of the floor and ranks last in points, rebounds and assists per game.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Night trains generally were also found to be deficient in bicycle storage space.
—Tanya Mohn, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 23 June 2025
Noted: Nearly 1 in 4 Americans is deficient in Vitamin D.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 17 June 2025
This Sun team is simply deficient on both ends of the floor and ranks last in points, rebounds and assists per game.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 June 2025
Night trains generally were also found to be deficient in bicycle storage space.
—Tanya Mohn, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
Adjective
-
Sandbox testing with dummy data doesn't reveal how agents behave when faced with the messy realities of actual business operations, like incomplete datasets, legacy system quirks or the subtle contextual cues that guide human decision making.—
Olga Megorskaya,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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When one immigration lawyer objected that the court record would be incomplete without the government attorney’s name, Xu reportedly refused to provide it.—
Cassandra Burke Robertson,
The Conversation,
23 July 2025
Adjective
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In his short stint in Scranton, that number has come down a hair, but still resides at an unacceptable 29.4%.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
-
Clearly, the line the editorial board is trying to draw between acceptable and unacceptable social media use is murky at best.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
Adjective
-
There is nothing wrong with having adapted in this way.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
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For instance, Putignano says there’s nothing wrong with expecting a teen to clean their room, just as your parents expected of you.—
Beth Ann Mayer,
Parents,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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However, nearly half still reported inadequate resources and technology for combating financial crime.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
21 July 2025
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Inspectors noted that the establishment was under construction at the time and had inadequate refrigeration.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 July 2025
Adjective
-
Spurred by climate change, Canadian wildfires have increasingly exacerbated poor air quality across Milwaukee and southern Wisconsin.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
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Because her judgment is so poor, your aggressively driving grandmother should not be behind the wheel.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
Tax revenues alone are insufficient to cover the government’s expenses.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
15 July 2025
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The comments coincided with the 10-year anniversary of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was originally intended to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but which some have argued was insufficient to adequately deter Tehran.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
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
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Relegated to the minority and with little sway over the congressional agenda, Democrats are betting that the bipartisan route is the least terrible of several bad options ahead of them.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
22 July 2025
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If the individual begins throwing up, or if symptoms get worse or last for over an hour, then call 911.—
Chad Murphy,
The Enquirer,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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