INCOMPLETE Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

incomplete

adjective

ˌin-kəm-ˈplēt

Definition of incomplete

as in deficient

lacking some necessary part an incomplete puzzle that has several pieces missing

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of incomplete After an incomplete pass, the Cowboys were called for a false start, which backed them up to the 7. — CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 Another incomplete pass forced the Cowboys to settle for a field goal. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 But Willis’ pass was incomplete, after his third down pass was knocked down. — Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2026 Robinson applied second-down pressure later in the fourth quarter, forcing an incomplete pass and narrowly missing a sack. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 27 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incomplete

Recent Examples of Synonyms for incomplete

Adjective

High base, cuts to public capex for meeting fiscal deficit targets and the impact of deficient rains on sowing patterns are some of the key reasons the brokerage expects India’s growth to slow over the next few quarters.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
There is nonexistent depth, disastrous allocation of resources and a roster so deficient that the general manager who constructed it has already been dismissed.

— Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of deficient

Adjective

The partial Canadian ban on US booze has been painful for the American industry.

— Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
The opening performance, a partial recreation of the Confessions II short film, also featured cameos from Madonna’s longtime friend Debi Mazar, actress Julia Garner, Sombr, Andrew Watt, Seth Rogen and more.

— Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of partial

Adjective

Both also explore attempts to understand someone who is gone through fragmentary memory, using images as a bridge between the living and the dead.

— Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026
In the last three centuries, scholars have unearthed a few morsels—a description in an old poem of a similar tapestry; some rare Scandinavian textiles—that provide at least fragmentary context for the artifact’s existence.

— John Phipps, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of fragmentary

Browse Nearby Words

incompetents

incomplete

incompletely

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Incomplete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incomplete. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of incomplete

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

tittle

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes