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
But the rest of Mahomes’ supporting cast ranged from subpar to fringe-average.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
The Jaguars allowed the lowest pass pressure rate in Week 1, so Cincinnati will have to blitz to get pressure this week, opening avenues for Lawrence to go after the Bengals’ subpar coverage players.
—Kc Joyner, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
However, prior to last season, Darnold had been viewed as a bust after six subpar campaigns to begin his NFL career, and it should be noted that the USC product was absolutely loaded with weapons in Minnesota.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
This disconnect, where luxury price points could be charged for subpar service, is precisely what inspired Kelly to create Twentty.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
The Jaguars allowed the lowest pass pressure rate in Week 1, so Cincinnati will have to blitz to get pressure this week, opening avenues for Lawrence to go after the Bengals’ subpar coverage players.
—Kc Joyner, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
However, prior to last season, Darnold had been viewed as a bust after six subpar campaigns to begin his NFL career, and it should be noted that the USC product was absolutely loaded with weapons in Minnesota.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
This disconnect, where luxury price points could be charged for subpar service, is precisely what inspired Kelly to create Twentty.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subpar. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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