insufficient

adjective

ˌin(t)-sə-ˈfi-shənt How to pronounce insufficient (audio)
Definition of insufficientnext
as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need there's been an insufficient number of volunteers for the job, so I'll have to select someone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 insufficient In some cases, because delivery drivers could only pay for orders using Grubhub credit cards that were sometimes declined for insufficient funds, restaurants were often left unpaid for food that was already prepared. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 Unlike some competitors, such as Sallie Mae and Citizens Bank, SoFi does not charge any late fees or insufficient-funds fees. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026 But reports suggest initial enrollment takes longer, and has been slowed down by malfunctioning equipment, technical bugs, insufficient personnel, and inconsistent implementation across crossings. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 12 Aug. 2026 But in terms of data analysis, our experiences produce insufficient sample sizes. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for insufficient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insufficient
  1. lacking
  2. inadequate
  3. scarce
  4. low
Adjective
  • Which is to say quality constraints on what Paramount could conceivably dump into theaters are totally lacking.
    — Chris Lee, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
  • So a resistance surveillance network across places where this is lacking, such as northwestern Nigeria, would bring a huge return on investment.
    — Christine Ro, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of lacking
Adjective
  • Deadly fires, often linked to electrical faults or gas cylinder explosions, are common in India where investigators have frequently pointed to safety lapses and inadequate enforcement of fire regulations as contributing to recurring loss of life.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Having just a dozen countermunitions for interceptions also proved inadequate in the face of large numbers of Ukrainian drones.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of inadequate
Adjective
  • There's scarce public data, but some estimates indicate that up to 20% of the company's total warehouse space has been destroyed, with assessments of losses running as high as $6 billion.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The war in the Middle East has made cargoes more scarce and, in turn, more expensive, raising the prospects of another energy crunch.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of scarce
Adjective
  • Achane will also go from a QB with one of the league’s highest checkdown rates to a QB with one of the lowest.
    — Jess Bryant, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • This week, Australian biotechnology company Mesolab announced that its Phase 3 trial of rexlemestrocel-L for chronic low back pain (CLBP) now moves beyond the patient-treatment stage.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of low

Browse Nearby Words

insufficiency
insufficient
insufficiently
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Cite this Entry

“Insufficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insufficient. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on insufficient

Nglish: Translation of insufficient for Spanish Speakers

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