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
Of these, magnesium supplementation may be the most beneficial as it’s estimated that 75% of Americans are currently deficient, and magnesium supplementation is well known to promote calm and support sleep quality.
—
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 21 Feb. 2025
When deficient, plant yields and quality are reduced.
—Dr. Haiying Tao, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2025
Second, laser technology is deficient in energy, efficiency, and is too expensive.
—New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2025
Of course, soil can also be deficient in important nutrients.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 21 Feb. 2025
When deficient, plant yields and quality are reduced.
—Dr. Haiying Tao, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2025
Second, laser technology is deficient in energy, efficiency, and is too expensive.
—New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2025
Of course, soil can also be deficient in important nutrients.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
Adjective
-
While vendor management systems (VMS) exist to address this, many legacy systems rely on outdated processes, incomplete or obsolete data, and time-consuming procedures.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Existing data is incomplete and fails to fully address gaps and inequities at the intersections of gender, race, economic background, disability, etc.—
Lindsey Darvin,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Forcing Americans and small independent American companies to rely on those same tools is an unacceptable outcome of domestic legislation.—
Emma Woollacott,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Defense stocks were once considered socially unacceptable investments, but fund managers are slowly changing tack as the sector has rallied in recent years.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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However, the new price on the OnePlus store is about 50 percent higher, putting OnePlus on the wrong side of devices like the Pixel Watch and Apple Watch.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 Apr. 2025
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And it’s been even harder for my daughter, Piper, who never did anything wrong.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Frequent travel across multiple time zones disrupts circadian rhythms and increases the risk of injuries due to inadequate rest and recovery.—
Claire Poole,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Typical reasons why the corporations won’t back mortgages at a condo include inadequate reserves or insurance, structural or construction issues, too many delinquencies, and too high a percentage of rentals.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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There’s a real debate to be had about what responsibility better-off neighborhoods like Hyde Park have to help solve humanitarian problems that often are laid at the feet of poorer areas.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
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Job loss also results in people experiencing higher levels of depressive symptoms, poor health, loss of social support, and disruption of social and family ties, according to Jennie E Brand, author of The Far-Reaching Impact of Job Loss and Unemployment.—
Paul Klein,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Significant obstacles remain: insufficient private investment, market fragmentation across 27 member states, and regulatory complexity could undermine Europe's ambitions.—
Federico Guerrini,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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The representation of female directors in the five major film festivals, however, is still below 30%, according to the study, while recognition at top awards show such as the Oscars is still insufficient.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
9 Apr. 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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What happened was my bad behavior and my angst brought the energy finally.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Hundreds of homes were damaged when a bad rainstorm hit in 2023.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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