Synonyms of deficit

deficit

noun

ˈde-fə-sət 

as in shortage

a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number

a growing deficit in the number of hours devoted to sleep

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shortage
• lack
• deficiency
• drought
• poverty
• scarcity
• famine
• insufficiency
• inadequacy
• absence
• paucity
• crunch
• lacuna
• undersupply
• failure
• inadequateness
• pinch
• dearth
• scantiness
• omission
• scarceness
• want
• necessity
• meagerness
• privation
• skimpiness
• need
• poorness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• amplitude
• adequacy
• wealth
• abundance
• sufficiency
• plenty
• opulence
• surplus
• plenitude
• excess
• oversupply
• overabundance
• surfeit
• copiousness
• bountifulness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deficit

Jake Burger homered twice and Ezequiel Duran had his 12th game this season with at least three hits as Texas rallied from two four-run deficits to beat Tampa Bay. — Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026

Zheng has ​become Flushing Meadows’ most entertaining escape artist this year, coming back from ⁠a 0-5 deficit in the deciding set against third-round foe Madison Keys. — Reuters, NBC news, 7 Sep. 2026

That’s as governments since the COVID pandemic have continued spending as if borrowing costs were still at crisis-era lows and letting deficits worsen as if their economies were still in desperate need of emergency stimulus. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026

Thriston Lawrence of South Africa overcame a six-shot deficit Sunday with an 8-under 62 and denied Paul Casey his first victory in five years by making an 18-foot birdie putt on the fourth playoff hole to win the European Masters. — ABC News, 6 Sep. 2026