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
  • Owens not only lacked an undergraduate degree but did poorly in school, where she was described as a hopeless case.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The researchers are now incorporating F³ into autonomous drones designed to navigate cluttered and poorly lit environments.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • Ask whether the time changed, the location changed, or someone simply explained it badly.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Heat were badly outclassed by Luka Doncic and the Lakers.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 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 9 Nov. 2026.

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