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

News reporting about the new plane’s security deficiencies angered the president and triggered a sprawling leak investigation. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Herro and Adebayo came together in the wake of social-media posts from Herro questioning Adebayo’s stature as a Heat leading man, in light of what Herro questioned in those posts as Adebayo’s offensive deficiencies. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026

Use fertilizer numbers to select products based on plant needs, soil deficiencies, or growth stages. — Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026

But taking testosterone is not the same as popping a vitamin for a B12 deficiency. — Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026