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

Instead, budget deficits are running at about twice that level – even though unemployment is low and the White House argues the economy is on fire. — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026

Many investors have focused on short-or ultra-short-term bonds lately to sidestep bond market volatility that has pummeled prices as rates rise due to concerns over broader economic issues like inflation and the federal deficit. — Cheryl Winokur Munk, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026

Graft and political influence are particular concerns among international investors whose goodwill Indonesia, which runs both a budget deficit and a trade deficit, needs. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 Sep. 2026

The New Orleans Saints rallied from a 21-point deficit to force overtime in Detroit, where things got even nuttier; the Lions won, 31-30, after a Saints two-point attempt in the extra session failed. — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026