1
: of inferior grade or quality
2
: being near that extreme of a specified range which is lowest, least intense, least serious, or least competent
a low-grade fever
a low-grade infection

Examples of low-grade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There is instead a backdrop of low-grade chaos, funny in its Southern volatility. Lisa Bubert, Longreads, 27 Feb. 2024 Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung is expected to be sidelined approximately three weeks due to a low-grade calf strain, manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday. Staff and Wire Reports, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Feb. 2024 Those fatty foods can also cause chronic, low-grade inflammation, which occurs when certain types of immune system cells remain present too long, according to Dr. Selvi Rajagopal, an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Katie Mogg, NBC News, 28 Jan. 2024 Yet underlying all that gratitude was a low-grade anxiety: Would audiences and critics like the film, and would that be enough for a buyer to scoop it up and plan to distribute it? Nicole Sperling Joel Barhamand, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 High-grade cancer cells grow and spread more rapidly than low-grade ones. Jenny McCoy, Health, 10 Nov. 2023 Augustus Prew has the sad task of trying to make Ellis seem like anything other than a low-grade sociopath who demeans both his work colleagues and boyfriend, while neither the director nor screenwriters seem remotely interested in aligning with reality. Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 5 Dec. 2023 The shots from that doorbell camera are low-grade grainy and the audio sounds stuffed with earwax. Outdoor Life, 29 Nov. 2023 Much less is known about the long-term effects, but one theory is that some long COVID patients experience a sort of continuous low-grade inflammation that can contribute to tissue and organ damage. Carolyn Barber, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of low-grade was in 1877

Dictionary Entries Near low-grade

Cite this Entry

“Low-grade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/low-grade. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

low-grade

adjective
ˈlō-ˈgrād
1
: of poor grade or quality
2
: being near that end of a range which is lowest, weakest, or least able
a low-grade fever

Medical Definition

low-grade

adjective
: being near that extreme of a specified range which is lowest, least intense, or least competent
a low-grade fever
a low-grade infection
compare high-grade
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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