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
Jerry KirshenbaumBecause of phylloxera, vineyards have been inconsistent and yielding subpar grapes.—James Laube
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
David Barrett… Augusta National never played easier. … Saturday's 30 subpar rounds broke a third-round tournament record …—John Garrity
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
the service at the restaurant was subpar, to say the least
Recent Examples on the Web
Live boxing and live auto racing deliver palpable electricity with subpar sightlines.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Screen resolution While full HD is the standard resolution for most tablets, some manufacturers remain competitive with budget tablets, while their resolutions are subpar.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
The week of programming is subpar compared to the tradition and prestige of the annual event, Cooley said, and IUI’s response doesn’t repair the damage of canceling it.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 16 Jan. 2026
All three picked on mismatches, controlled the offensive glass and took advantage of poor communication and subpar effort on the defensive end.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026
Screen resolution While full HD is the standard resolution for most tablets, some manufacturers remain competitive with budget tablets, while their resolutions are subpar.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
The week of programming is subpar compared to the tradition and prestige of the annual event, Cooley said, and IUI’s response doesn’t repair the damage of canceling it.
—Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 16 Jan. 2026
All three picked on mismatches, controlled the offensive glass and took advantage of poor communication and subpar effort on the defensive end.
—Cj Moore, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subpar. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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