deficit spending

NOUN

spending in excess of revenue or income

Synonyms

STRONGEST

budget deficit

WEAK

compensatory spending debt debt explosion deficit financing in the red megadebt negative cash flow no assets overspending paying out in excess of income pump priming

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.

Double-digit raises have been promised to union workers by a school system that for months has proclaimed that it is in dire financial straits, trapped in deficit spending and facing potential insolvency in four years.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

“Our economy has been fueled by large amounts of government deficit spending and past stimulus and that increased expenditure on infrastructure remains a growing need,” Dimon says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

“Current deficit spending as a percent of GDP of 5.2% would be 6.1% without tariff revenue,” says Bill Merz, head of capital markets research at U.S.

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

McLennan pointed to two paths forward for governments in developed economies to address their deficit spending and high levels of debt.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 27, 2026

The economy shrank about 4% because of decreased trade, intermittent border closures, increased deficit spending on security needs, and investor uncertainty.

From The 2002 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency