1
as in incomplete
lacking some necessary part
a diet deficient in calcium can lead to weak bones
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
woefully deficient eyesight kept him out of military service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need
too deficient in common sense to be trusted to stay by himself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deficient
The ruling followed a four-day evidentiary hearing in which McKinney’s attorneys argued that his legal representation during the 2022 proceedings was deficient and failed to fully investigate evidence tied to former Kansas City, Kansas police detective Golubski.
—
Ben Wheeler
may 7, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2026
Is the plant potassium-deficient, and does the banana water provide enough potassium?
—Haniya Rae, Martha Stewart, 5 May 2026
Appropriately for a defense-deficient series, the Ducks capitalized on two transition sequences early in the third to take control.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
First, container growing gives you more control over the health and growth of your plants and is a great solution if your garden naturally has poorly draining or deficient soil.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Ben Wheeler
may 7, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2026
Is the plant potassium-deficient, and does the banana water provide enough potassium?
—Haniya Rae, Martha Stewart, 5 May 2026
Appropriately for a defense-deficient series, the Ducks capitalized on two transition sequences early in the third to take control.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
First, container growing gives you more control over the health and growth of your plants and is a great solution if your garden naturally has poorly draining or deficient soil.
—Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
Adjective
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Africa is full of people who ask each other for product recommendations in WhatsApp groups or comment sections because the options online can often be incomplete or difficult to verify.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
Yet with the tool’s skyrocketing popularity, some experts worry about potential hallucinations or incomplete answers, the potential for doctors’ critical thinking skills to erode and more.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
That could include fees for access, which Washington says would be unacceptable.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
20 May 2026
-
Speakers at Tuesday’s rally argued this was unacceptable.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Not just any type of bus, but a marshrutka—a crowded, rumbling, claustrophobic Soviet holdover minibus, solidly built with steel girding and equally lacking in shock absorbers and seat padding.—
Irene Zabytko
May 7,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
-
So many young players come up the ranks lacking game management.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The following seasons saw a wrong turn and regression to the point where many supporters gave up.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
For most people, this is where the cocktail goes wrong.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
The children were processed in tents before being taken to emergency shelters run by the Department of Health and Human Services, some of which were criticized by child welfare advocates as having inadequate conditions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
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In a separate study, Perez recently found that evidence showing that depression scales hold steady across other features, such as gender and culture, is inadequate.—
Simon Makin,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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After wildfires hit Georgia in April 2026 fueled by a rain deficit, high winds and low humidity, — among other causes, per NASA — neighboring states got slammed with poor air quality alerts.—
Ryan Brennan
May 19,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
-
However his attitude on health care and taxes places Newsom at odds with advocates for poor Californians who would be affected and their allies in the Legislature, many of whom want a tax increase.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
The city’s leaders worry about the facility's insufficient infrastructure, while Senator Warnock remains opposed to the administration’s aggressive deportation policies.—
Lautaro Grinspan,
AJC.com,
15 May 2026
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The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office and the Draper City Prosecutor both declined to file charges against Paul in April, citing insufficient evidence to prove allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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By the way, getting excited about a schedule release even on the face of it, without all the pomp and circumstance of social media managers sniffing their own farts, is lame.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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This idea that just sitting with your face buried in your phone when you’re supposed to be in a social setting—that’s lame, right?—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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