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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of deficient
Iron deficiency can definitely cause symptoms—but many of them are so common that they could easily be attributed to other things like not drinking enough water, being deficient in Vitamin B12, or hormonal fluctuations.
—
Christina Pérez, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2024
As professional practice and compelling television, the tactic is equally deficient.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024
In healthy individuals who aren’t deficient in biotin, biotin supplementation will likely have no effect on hair growth, the same review concluded.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 20 Nov. 2024
The latest decision in the 30-year-long legal saga vacated a Baltimore Circuit Judge’s previous ruling regarding school funding, but still ultimately rejected the plaintiffs’ attempt to revive the litigation over claims of deficient education standards at city schools.
—Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deficient 
Christina Pérez, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2024
As professional practice and compelling television, the tactic is equally deficient.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 19 Dec. 2024
In healthy individuals who aren’t deficient in biotin, biotin supplementation will likely have no effect on hair growth, the same review concluded.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 20 Nov. 2024
The latest decision in the 30-year-long legal saga vacated a Baltimore Circuit Judge’s previous ruling regarding school funding, but still ultimately rejected the plaintiffs’ attempt to revive the litigation over claims of deficient education standards at city schools.
—Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 19 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for deficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficient
Adjective
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Gabi Mosley is a flawed anti-hero grappling with healing that is incomplete.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
15 Jan. 2025
-
For those concerned about some plant proteins being incomplete, a varied diet is the key.—
Kari Sonde,
TIME,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The section says that Amazon believes in creating a diverse and inclusive company and that inequitable treatment of anyone is unacceptable.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2025
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One glaring weakness Poles probably spent too much time talking about Williams’ role in the unacceptable number of sacks.—
Kevin Fishbain,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The swindles also involved fake investments, phony sweepstakes, and tech support scams in which a person was contacted and told there was something wrong with their computer, which could be corrected for a fee.—
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi,
Discover Magazine,
18 Jan. 2025
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The outlet reports that Puente would even continue to write letters to her tenants’ family members for months following their deaths in order to cover her tracks and lead the families to believe nothing was wrong.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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While the prisoner avoided MDC Brooklyn, Devens was cited in 2024 by the Office of Inspector General for having inadequate medical staff to care for prisoners at the institution.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes,
11 Jan. 2025
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The most common reason African violets stop flowering is inadequate lighting.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Everybody connected to the death of this poor guy is dead now.—
Makena Gera,
People.com,
12 Jan. 2025
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With sleep disorders affecting approximately 70 million Americans and poor sleep linked to serious health risks like heart disease, stroke and cognitive decline, the Tone Buds represent a significant advancement in personal sleep technology.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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However, following further investigation, Los Angeles Police Department officials determined there was insufficient probable cause to charge him with arson.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
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The review concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support a link between moderate drinking and oral cavity, pharyngeal, esophageal, and laryngeal cancers.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
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My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
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During the worst of the firestorm Tuesday, the winds were so bad that air operations were suspended.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2025
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Some of them haven't been that bad, and some of them have been egregious.—
Mike Miller,
EW.com,
11 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near deficient
Cite this Entry
“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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