Synonyms of deficiency

deficiency

noun

di-ˈfi-shən-sē 

as in shortage

a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number

there is a deficiency of fresh food in the diet of many of the working poor

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shortage
• lack
• deficit
• insufficiency
• scarcity
• inadequacy
• absence
• drought
• paucity
• poverty
• famine
• lacuna
• failure
• dearth
• inadequateness
• undersupply
• scantiness
• crunch
• omission
• pinch
• scarceness
• necessity
• want
• meagerness
• privation
• skimpiness
• poorness
• need

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adequacy
• sufficiency
• abundance
• amplitude
• wealth
• plenty
• opulence
• plenitude
• surplus
• excess
• overabundance
• oversupply
• copiousness
• surfeit
• bountifulness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deficiency

Say, for example, to help fight iron deficiency anemia, which 30% of women will experience at some point in their lives. — Diana Helmuth, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026

Importantly, for people diagnosed with testosterone deficiency, testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) can be an effective treatment. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026

The deficiency ​reduces the liver’s ability to control glucose levels and is associated with potentially life-threatening low blood sugar levels. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 20 Aug. 2026

Oral Supplements Doctors may prescribe iron supplements to increase iron levels in the body or vitamin B12 supplements to treat vitamin B12–deficiency anemia. — Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 19 Aug. 2026