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 revelations about the tattoo and the online comments stirred concern among Democrats that Platner had been poorly vetted as a political candidate and demonstrated questionable judgment.
    — Kimberlee Kruesi, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Overuse, poorly-fitting shoes, and misalignment can all contribute to injury either in your feet or elsewhere in the body.
    — Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 7 July 2026
Definition of poorly
Adverb
  • Schumer badly misread the Democratic electorate and tried to clear the field for his preferred candidate, Maine’s 78-year-old governor, Janet Mills, leaving a vacuum that Platner filled.
    — Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 7 July 2026
  • Industrial policy fails not only when badly designed at the top.
    — Nili Gilbert, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of badly
Adverb
  • In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.
    — Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
  • In one of them, a spot attacking Harman, Checchi included a photo of the lieutenant governor — and not a bad-looking one at that.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 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 13 Jul. 2026.

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