How to Use deficient in a Sentence

deficient

1 of 2 adjective
  • Several bridges in the city are structurally deficient.
  • About half of those in the study were deficient in the vitamin.
    — Zee Krstic, Good Housekeeping, 20 Feb. 2022
  • When the body is deficient in iron, anemia or low red blood cell count can occur.
    — Delaney Nothaft, USA TODAY, 4 May 2023
  • Now, its front seven will be at least a little less deficient.
    — Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Effect sizes are modest for healthy adults but meaningful for those who are deficient.
    — Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
  • Maybe the Wolves are deficient in certain areas.
    — Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 14 Jan. 2026
  • Those who are deficient in magnesium are more likely to have anemia.
    — Jessica Swirble, Verywell Health, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Effect sizes are modest for healthy adults and most meaningful for people who are deficient.
    — Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026
  • Authenticity is deeply deficient on both sides of the aisle.
    — Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
  • People who are deficient in one are often deficient in the other.
    — Ruth Jessen Hickman, Health, 11 Dec. 2025
  • The drought, an event arising out of scanty and deficient rainfall, was equally destructive.
    — Vivek Gupta, Quartz, 10 Nov. 2022
  • Many men are deficient in vitamin D3 and this can lead to a number of health problems.
    — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 21 Dec. 2022
  • Pretermissions can take place if a case is incomplete or legally deficient.
    — Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Miami’s edge rushers also have been deficient against the run this season.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
  • In the past, many Americans were deficient in this trace element.
    — Becca Miller, Women's Health, 1 Aug. 2023
  • The deficient vice of being open-minded is being narrow-minded.
    — Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
  • But dust can still make its mark—especially by delivering iron to parts of the ocean that are deficient in the metal.
    — Rahul Rao, Popular Science, 4 May 2023
  • This product is a great way to restore magnesium levels, which are often deficient due to poor diet and stress.
    — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 21 Dec. 2022
  • Totoro has worked with athletes who struggled with what felt like cramping muscles and were found to be deficient in magnesium.
    — Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2023
  • Prices of crude oil, a key resource for energy-deficient Europe, slipped and were on track for their first weekly drop in two months.
    — Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 29 May 2026
  • Of course, vitamin D is also available in supplement form for those who may be deficient.
    — Discover Magazine, 29 Feb. 2024
  • And the people most likely to notice a difference are those who are deficient, which is a condition that’s both common and easy to miss.
    — Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
  • For that reason, the District’s response was legally deficient.
    — Jack Greiner, The Enquirer, 9 Feb. 2022
  • When these enzymes are deficient, consuming even small amounts of alcohol can lead to symptoms like facial flushing and warmth.
    — Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 25 Nov. 2023
  • Work on the housing report started in July and finds several cities deficient.
    — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2023
  • Is the plant potassium-deficient, and does the banana water provide enough potassium?
    — Haniya Rae, Martha Stewart, 5 May 2026
  • Being defensively deficient against the second-best offense in the nation wasn’t a recipe for success.
    — Lia Assimakopoulos, Dallas Morning News, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Mariners’ work was hard, dirty, and dangerous, and diets were deficient in vitamins; scurvy was endemic on long-range voyages.
    — James Belich, Fortune, 22 Jan. 2023
  • But studies have shown DNA repair is deficient in early embryos.
    — Bykai Kupferschmidt, science.org, 13 Mar. 2023
  • Cases can be sealed to protect the tenant from future credit problems if, for instance, the rent is paid or if the paperwork is found to be deficient.
    — From Usa Today Network and Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2022

deficient

2 of 2 noun
  • The script’s attention may waver, but its punchline hit rate is far from deficient.
    — Paul Schrodt, Vulture, 23 May 2023
  • It is more commonly seen in countries where the soil is iodine deficient and there is no iodine added to salt.
    — Patty Weasler, Verywell Health, 27 May 2025
  • People in certain age groups may also be more likely to become magnesium deficient, Gans said.
    — Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 22 Oct. 2024
  • People in certain age groups may also be more likely to become magnesium deficient, Gans said.
    — Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 1 Dec. 2023
  • The best way to hide the deficient, though, is through a dominating offense which brings us back to Jackson and Roman.
    — Mike Preston, baltimoresun.com, 5 June 2021
  • Friedman suggests that kids who are iron deficient or anemic should take iron supplements to improve their iron levels and correct deficiencies.
    — Dahlia Rimmon, Parents, 1 May 2024
  • It is estimated that one billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient.
    — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 15 Dec. 2022
  • High levels of this amino acid are known to increase the risk of coronary artery disease and blood clots, and can result from a diet deficient in folic acid or vitamin B12.
    — Neil Savage, Scientific American, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Research suggests that 35% to 45% of the world's population is iodine deficient.
    — Mary Shomon, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2023
  • But anchovies contain an enzyme that breaks down thiamine, or vitamin B1, and salmon are becoming thiamine deficient.
    — Catrin Einhorn Max Whittaker, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2023
  • People who are not magnesium deficient should not start taking a magnesium supplement without consulting a healthcare provider.
    — Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 1 Dec. 2023
  • People who are vitamin D deficient will usually take a supplement as a single vitamin D dose.
    — Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 30 Jan. 2025
  • If someone is severely iron deficient and anemic, and their hemoglobin is dangerously low, a blood transfusion may be needed.
    — Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
  • Those who suffer from one of the most aggressive breast cancers, triple-negative breast cancer, are more likely to be vitamin D deficient, Welsh adds.
    — Theresa Sullivan Barger, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2022
  • When someone is vitamin D deficient, the body releases calcium and phosphate from the bones, leading to bone weakening and softening.
    — Patty Weasler, Rn, Bsn, Verywell Health, 13 Aug. 2024
  • Supplements have also been shown to reduce the risk of respiratory infections in people who are vitamin D deficient.
    — Sarah Anzlovar, Ms, Verywell Health, 19 Apr. 2024
  • Still, whey protein isn't known to cause harm in most adults when taken in moderate amounts, especially in the protein deficient or those needing more such as athletes, the elderly or vegetarians.
    — Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 29 May 2023
  • In practice, Europeans had long experience with deficient, and even doddering, senile monarchs.
    — Rebecca Brannon / Made By History, TIME, 3 July 2024
  • His working hypothesis, however, is that if someone is vitamin D deficient, their immune response may not be as robust as someone with normal levels.
    — Laura Hensley, Verywell Health, 28 Sep. 2023
  • Greenberg finds Obama’s performance deficient; Savage’s assessment is more balanced.
    — Dawn Johnsen, Foreign Affairs, 22 Nov. 2016
  • Vitamin d will not help to relieve inflammation directly, but becoming vitamin d deficient can also cause your testosterone levels to dip and your joints to become more prone to damage and inflammation.
    — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 Oct. 2023
  • Vitamin d will not help to relieve inflammation directly, but becoming vitamin d deficient can also cause your testosterone levels to dip and your joints to become more prone to damage and inflammation.
    — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 20 Sep. 2023
  • Numbness and Tingling in Extremities Being calcium deficient can impact nerves, especially those in your hands and feet.
    — Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 11 June 2025
  • However, studies confirm that many people are magnesium deficient, with common symptoms that include muscle heaviness, insomnia, and fatigue.
    — Ana Morales, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
  • However, studies confirm that many people are magnesium deficient, with common symptoms that include muscle heaviness, insomnia, and fatigue.
    — Ana Morales, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2024
  • Vitamin d supplementation will stop you from becoming vitamin d deficient, preventing arthritis symptoms from getting any worse and providing modest pain relief (1).
    — Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
  • While regular sun exposure can help those who are vitamin D deficient, Lartey suggests prioritizing supplementation other than standing around in the sun to see long-term health benefits.
    — L'oréal Blackett, refinery29.com, 8 May 2024
  • In low- and middle-income countries, where people are more likely to be vitamin A deficient, physicians may administer vitamin A to measles patients to prevent a severe infection, experts said.
    — Jenna Anderson, Health, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Creating a culture deficient in intellectual inquiry, scientific understanding, human compassion, ethical standards and diverse expression is to cultivate the body by crushing its soul.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deficient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: