deficient
dih-FIH-shuhnt
Deficient (adjective) means lacking something necessary or sufficient; inadequate. Example: “His diet was deficient in essential vitamins.”
adjective
1
Lacking something necessary or sufficient; inadequate.
"His diet was deficient in essential vitamins."
"The bridge was found structurally deficient after the inspection."
How to use deficient
Learner’s notes
Common pairings
deficient in
nutritionally deficient
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Word forms
- Plural
- deficients
- Comparative
- more deficient
- Superlative
- most deficient
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
His diet was _____ in essential vitamins.
Etymology
From Latin dēficiēns, the present participle of dēficere ("to lack, fail"), the same root as "defect."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for deficient
See all rhymes for deficient →Frequently asked questions
What does “deficient” mean?
The word “deficient” means lacking something necessary or sufficient; inadequate.
How do you pronounce “deficient”?
“Deficient” is pronounced dih-FIH-shuhnt (/dɪˈfɪʃənt/ in IPA).
How do you use “deficient” in a sentence?
Here is “deficient” used in a sentence: “His diet was deficient in essential vitamins.”
What part of speech is “deficient”?
“Deficient” is an adjective.
Where does the word “deficient” come from?
The word “deficient” comes from Latin. From Latin dēficiēns, the present participle of dēficere ("to lack, fail"), the same root as "defect.".
Is “deficient” a common word?
“Deficient” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C2 level.
