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

Johnson-Hornes said her son attended speech therapy as a young child and was later diagnosed with autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. — Donald Fountain, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026

Granby went 15-0-0-1 in the regular season and the Bears’ only loss came in OT to Simsbury, which rallied from a four-goal deficit late in the game to win. — Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 3 Nov. 2026

Enis scored 17 points after halftime to help the Bluejays overcome a 39-33 halftime deficit. — ABC News, 3 Nov. 2026

Persistent government deficits and concerns about the purchasing power of fiat currencies also make gold attractive as a store of value. — Timothy Seymour, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026