deficits

NOUN

shortage of something needed, required

Synonyms

STRONGEST

loss shortfall

STRONG

arrears defalcation default deficiency dues inadequacy insufficiency lack paucity scantiness shortcoming

WEAK

dead horse due bill in hock in the hole in the red insufficience red ink underage

Antonyms

STRONG

abundance adequacy advantage enough perfection plenty satisfaction success sufficiency

WEAK

excess superfluousness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While annual deficits are narrower than 15 years ago, they are more persistent and more entrenched in national behavior.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

"His understanding of what went on must have been far more limited than a 14 year old operating at a level without his deficits."

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

The mice continued to show deficits in object recognition memory, indicating that additional brain regions may contribute to certain aspects of these disorders.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

More and more EU countries are being thrown in the public spending sin bin over their mushrooming deficits, with Bulgaria expected to be added Wednesday.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

I’d seen enough at this point to understand how quickly even small deficits can snowball, too.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama