deficiently

adverb

as in poorly
in an unsatisfactory way the road to the mountain lodge is so deficiently marked that we had a terrible time finding it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficiently
  1. poorly
  2. badly
  3. bad
Adverb
  • The result is a new technology expense that's both fast-growing and poorly understood.
    — Ameya Kanitkar, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Driscoll and others involved in the mission worried that something far less dramatic could derail it, such as an accidental weapon discharge, an isolated confrontation with a protester or a guardsman caught on camera behaving poorly.
    — Steven Beynon, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • In short, a project purchase done badly will leave you as one more creditor in the line, owning a shedload of unrealized ambition.
    — Benjamin Maltby, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Addam’s heroics at Tumbleton aside, things are going quite badly for Rhaenyra.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of badly
Adverb
  • Another would be to coat your thumbs with a bad-tasting substance.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 30 July 2026
  • Of course, Hole himself isn’t averse to breaking bad, either.
    — Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of bad
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

deficient
deficiently
deficit
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Cite this Entry

“Deficiently.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficiently. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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