inferior
adjective
in·fe·ri·or
in-ˈfir-ē-ər 
Examples of inferior in a Sentence
… the pearls were of inferior quality; they looked like pearlized globs of varying wrinkly shapes.
—
Tracie Rozhon, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2002
Sharks, rays, and ratfishes share a special burden: these cartilaginous fishes are saddled with a reputation for being somehow inferior to vertebrates blessed with bony skeletons.
—Carl Zimmer, Natural History, September 2000
No longer do workers and peasants feel inferior to the university-trained.
—Rhea Menzel Whitehead, Saturday Review, 4 Mar. 1972
These pearls are of inferior quality.
They were considered a socially inferior group.
He always felt inferior around his brother.
The judges voted to overturn a ruling made by an inferior court.
Tracie Rozhon, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2002
Sharks, rays, and ratfishes share a special burden: these cartilaginous fishes are saddled with a reputation for being somehow inferior to vertebrates blessed with bony skeletons.
—Carl Zimmer, Natural History, September 2000
No longer do workers and peasants feel inferior to the university-trained.
—Rhea Menzel Whitehead, Saturday Review, 4 Mar. 1972
These pearls are of inferior quality.
They were considered a socially inferior group.
He always felt inferior around his brother.
The judges voted to overturn a ruling made by an inferior court.
Recent Examples on the Web
Why read them if my learning will always be seen as inferior and secondary, not just in other people’s eyes but in my own as well?
—Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
The company’s flagship hazy IPA, Chug, recently won gold at the 2026 World Beer Cup, often described as the ‘Olympics of Beer,’ strengthening Mash Gang’s reputation for taste and quality at a time when many consumers still associate non-alcoholic beer with inferior flavor.
—Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
An overcrowded pan will cause food to steam instead of brown, resulting in an inferior texture and possibly flavor.
—Sheena Chihak, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 May 2026
Now, the American position can recover, but from what that meeting saw, the United States is in an inferior position to the Chinese right now.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferior
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Literary Hub, 26 May 2026
The company’s flagship hazy IPA, Chug, recently won gold at the 2026 World Beer Cup, often described as the ‘Olympics of Beer,’ strengthening Mash Gang’s reputation for taste and quality at a time when many consumers still associate non-alcoholic beer with inferior flavor.
—Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
An overcrowded pan will cause food to steam instead of brown, resulting in an inferior texture and possibly flavor.
—Sheena Chihak, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 May 2026
Now, the American position can recover, but from what that meeting saw, the United States is in an inferior position to the Chinese right now.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inferior. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
inferior
adjective
in·fe·ri·or
in-ˈfir-ē-ər
1
: situated below and closer to the feet than another and especially another similar part of an upright body especially of a human being compare superior sense 1
2
: situated in a more posterior or ventral position in the body of a quadruped compare superior sense 2
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