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
All of it was necessary in a 9-6 win against the talent-deficient but pesky Colorado Rockies.
—
Dennis Lin, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Of the veterinary diets, 66% were found to have lower total protein by design and were also deficient in one or more essential amino acids.
—New Atlas, 7 Sep. 2025
Although no publicly available evaluation has classified Stines as mentally deficient, a number of coworkers and friends interviewed by state police said Stines was acting strangely in the days leading up to the shooting of Mullins.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
In addition to widening the road from two to four lanes from San Dieguito Road to Via de la Valle, the narrow bridge deemed functionally obsolete and structurally deficient, will be replaced with a new 354-foot-long and 76-foot-wide bridge.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Dennis Lin, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Of the veterinary diets, 66% were found to have lower total protein by design and were also deficient in one or more essential amino acids.
—New Atlas, 7 Sep. 2025
Although no publicly available evaluation has classified Stines as mentally deficient, a number of coworkers and friends interviewed by state police said Stines was acting strangely in the days leading up to the shooting of Mullins.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
In addition to widening the road from two to four lanes from San Dieguito Road to Via de la Valle, the narrow bridge deemed functionally obsolete and structurally deficient, will be replaced with a new 354-foot-long and 76-foot-wide bridge.
—Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
Adjective
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Amid mass reticence, An Unfinished Film is an essential yet incomplete outlet for unprocessed trauma.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Carroll scored on its first five offensive possessions, and possibly would have been six, but Renda’s second-and-goal pass was incomplete in the end zone as time expired in the first half.—
Mike Waters,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable.—
James Bickerton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Other Republicans — especially in the House — see it as an unacceptable expansion of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, which Republicans have tried to eliminate or cut back since it was enacted 15 years ago.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Art that truly centres girlhood, meanwhile, had too often been dismissed as sentimental or lacking intellectual rigor.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The film’s overall low-key tenor downplays both moral judgment and conspicuous style, though neither are entirely lacking.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Too many projects still aim at the wrong problem from day one.—
Mike Hoffman,
Fortune,
28 Sep. 2025
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Gap Tie-front Woven Maxi Dress A white cotton dress will never steer you wrong.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The rapid expansion of psychedelic therapy has surfaced risks, like inadequate facilitator training and questionable consent practices in unregulated settings.—
Sonia Singh,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
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Private pleas for Biden to show some heart were simply an inadequate response to the killing fields of Gaza, which anyone with eyes could recognize as a genocide.—
Book Marks
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Similar protests occurred in Brazil over steep living costs and poor healthcare and education ahead of the country hosting the 2014 World Cup tournament.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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Over time, dysfunctional breathing reinforces poor posture and scapular instability.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Some Republicans note that Earle-Sears’s strategy of focusing on trans issues may not be salient enough this cycle and may end up being insufficient.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
28 Sep. 2025
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Meta tweaked the system to bring it in line with EU regulation, but in July the European Commission asked for further changes, implying that the company might face daily fines if the overhaul is deemed insufficient.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Another main issue is that the power grind itself now being the endgame is no longer a good motivator to play, nor is the Tier system with 3s not much different than 4s or 5s, and all past weapons being somewhat lame now outside of that system entirely.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Paine proposed a lump sum payment of £15 (£2,306 in 2025) to everyone reaching the age of twenty-one and a £10 (£1,537 in 2025) annual pension for the blind and lame, as well as for those fifty and older.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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