deficient

adjective

di-ˈfi-shənt How to pronounce deficient (audio)
Definition of deficientnext
1
as in incomplete
lacking some necessary part a diet deficient in calcium can lead to weak bones

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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 deficient Many people are deficient in vitamin D due to limited sunlight exposure and few natural food sources. — Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 12 Aug. 2026 So far, results are most promising for people with abnormally high blood pressure who are deficient in the mineral, Edwards told HEALTH. — Stephanie Anderson Witmer, HEALTH, 11 Aug. 2026 Everybody is low, so the deficiency becomes normalized—‘normal’ is deficient. — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2026 Despite the copious downpour that led to flooding across many parts of the country in the past few weeks, India still faces the prospect of a deficient monsoon this year. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
  1. incomplete
  2. unacceptable
  3. lacking
  4. wrong
  5. inadequate
  6. poor
  7. insufficient
  8. lame
Adjective
  • Baha Sibai, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at in the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, believes the rate could be even higher because many birth certificates have incomplete data.
    — Megha Satyanarayana, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Incomplete customer profiles lead to incomplete answers, while fragmented behavioral data limits AI’s ability to understand intent, identify patterns and recommend the right next action.
    — Bill Bruno, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of incomplete
Adjective
  • That explanation, which was given to Quatraro on the field, clearly was unacceptable to the Royals manager.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Both noted that any sort of political violence is unacceptable.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Ohio's fittest cities don't rank in the national top 25, but that doesn't mean the Buckeye State is unhealthy or lacking amenities.
    — Alex Perry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Where to Stay Ely hosts a handful of hotels and motels within town limits, but true luxury accommodations are somewhat lacking.
    — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of lacking
Adjective
  • Remember, taking the wrong benefit at the wrong time is always smaller and forever.
    — Thomas Hager, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Therefore, therapy should do more than help people identify what’s wrong with their relationships.
    — David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • According to the whistleblower, testing of this new system has been inadequate.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Gartner predicts that over 40% of agentic AI projects will be canceled by the end of 2027, citing escalating costs, unclear business value and inadequate risk controls.
    — Emily Lewis-Pinnell, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of inadequate
Adjective
  • Dozens of companies have withdrawn over the past decades due to poor profits, an uncertain business outlook and concerns about harm to their reputations from making arms, especially lethal weapons.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Along the way, the audience can expect tons of humiliation, terrible second prizes, and the guarantee that Robertson will turn at least one poor soul's wrong turn into several minutes of unhinged public destruction.
    — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Prevents Calcium Deficiency That Can Reduce Bone Strength Individuals with reduced calcium absorption or insufficient dietary intake may be at risk of calcium deficiency and may require a supplement.
    — Jennifer Lefton, Verywell Health, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But tariffs alone proved insufficient to tackle the security risks that come with Chinese monopoly power, and Washington has begun to experiment with many more tools of industrial policy.
    — Chad P. Bown, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of insufficient
Adjective
  • Post-election powers Keisha Lance Bottoms has a message for Republicans who might be tempted to limit her powers in a lame-duck special session if the Democrat wins the race for governor in November.
    — Adam Beam, AJC.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • President John Adams, after losing his 1800 reëlection bid, used his lame-duck period to fill the judiciary with sympathizers.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of lame

Browse Nearby Words

deficiency
deficient
deficiently
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All