subpar

adjective

sub·​par ˈsəb-ˌpär How to pronounce subpar (audio)
variants or less commonly sub-par
chiefly US
: below par: such as
a
: below a usual or normal level or standard
subpar attendance
a subpar performance
Why would a major football school fire a successful coach following a single subpar season?Jerry Kirshenbaum
Because of phylloxera, vineyards have been inconsistent and yielding subpar grapes.James Laube
b
golf : having a score lower than par
His 19 birdies and two eagles gave him more subpar holes than anyone …David Barrett
… Augusta National never played easier. … Saturday's 30 subpar rounds broke a third-round tournament record …John Garrity

Did you know?

Since sub- means "below", almost anything that fails to measure up to a traditional standard may be called subpar. So you may hear of subpar ratings for a TV show, subpar care at a nursing home, subpar attendance at a concert, or subpar work by a contractor. If you played a subpar round of golf, though, you needed more strokes than you should have.

Examples of subpar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On one hand, he has been brought in by the current manager for near £100 million just 18 months ago; but on the other, his performances have been drastically subpar with no real sign of improvement. Liam Canning, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 While Chapman had a subpar platform year at the plate, his absence would be palpable with the Blue Jays – and either of these teams failing to add him would leave glaring holes. Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 The year before, Euless Trinity was bumped out of the playoffs in the bi-district round by Keller and finished with a subpar 4-7 record. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Feb. 2024 Without the data, some managers may feel that a worker is subpar. Jack Kelly, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Nothing similar is evident here, but Hartley growls in a good-natured way throughout and has the stature to intimidate people even if the action choreography is completely subpar. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 2024 The Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in a thrilling encounter at last year’s Super Bowl, and despite having a subpar regular season, flipped the switch in the playoffs to book their spot in Nevada. Ben Morse, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 And why is the company still presenting the subpar works of Peter Martins, its former director? Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 There are many subpar examples, but there are also some truly excellent expressions available to try, and this new (and very expensive) 37-year-old from Dewar’s definitely falls into the latter category. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 17 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subpar.' 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

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subpar was in 1922

Dictionary Entries Near subpar

Cite this Entry

“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subpar. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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