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
And on social media, influencers — many with medical or scientific degrees in their bios — claim that most people are woefully deficient.
—
Alice Callahan, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Those who are deficient in magnesium are more likely to have anemia.
—Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 8 May 2025
However, the team continues through the postseason, things could be tougher as other teams won't be as deficient in the frontcourt as the Lakers.
—Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
The skink, listed as data deficient on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, had never officially been documented alive and in its natural habitat.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Alice Callahan, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Those who are deficient in magnesium are more likely to have anemia.
—Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 8 May 2025
However, the team continues through the postseason, things could be tougher as other teams won't be as deficient in the frontcourt as the Lakers.
—Matt Levine, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
The skink, listed as data deficient on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, had never officially been documented alive and in its natural habitat.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
Adjective
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That is a simplistic and incomplete description of an entire political party whose nominee won 48% of the vote in the November election.—
Michael Graham,
Boston Herald,
6 June 2025
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From ships to jets, Hong Kong’s story as an aviation hub would be incomplete without Cathay Pacific Airways.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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And sometimes the soldiers can do things which are totally unacceptable and can be called crimes.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
6 June 2025
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Shamkhani underscored that the absence of sanctions relief rendered the U.S. plan unacceptable.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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There’s a right way and a wrong way to do it Matt Sekerke is a managing director at SEDA Experts and senior macro advisor at Hiddenite Capital Partners.—
Matt Sekerke,
Fortune,
30 May 2025
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For affluent Latino parents Enrique and Ilana Gomez, this moment goes hilariously wrong from the start, when their daughter Yoli invites her Mexican-born intended Marcos over to the family’s Pasadena home for dinner.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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And for many, forgiveness might seem an inadequate response, given available options like anger, bitterness, hatred, revenge, retribution.—
Kevin Sack,
Time,
3 June 2025
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Last December, a tiff erupted between billionaire entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, on the one side, and MAGA champions including Steve Bannon, over the formers’ claims that H-1B workers are needed because the homegrown tech workforce is inadequate.—
Alec MacGillis,
ProPublica,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Most cited poor digital offerings or a lack of services and products.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
5 June 2025
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The risk extends even to children due to increasing rates of childhood obesity and poor dietary habits.20 As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that healthy adults have their lipids checked every four to six years.—
MD Published,
Verywell Health,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Labor advocates say the strikers’ benefits bill is a necessary counter to the advantages most employers have at the bargaining table, especially since the Trump administration has left the National Labor Relations Board with insufficient members to act and shrunk the ranks of labor mediators.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
31 May 2025
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What defense attorneys say Patel’s attorneys, who have argued that the evidence was insufficient, had not filed a sentencing recommendation by Tuesday.—
Steve Karnowski,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 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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That cartilage injury was worse than expected, and Jiménez could miss all or most of this season rehabbing.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
5 June 2025
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This person also worried the ripple effect of cutoff dates could make the severe lack of affordable housing even worse.—
Jennifer Ludden,
NPR,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
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