substandard

adjective

sub·​stan·​dard ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd 

: deviating from or falling short of a standard or norm: such as

a

: of a quality lower than that prescribed by law

substandard housing

b

: conforming to a pattern of linguistic usage existing within a speech community but not that of the prestige group in that community

c

: constituting a greater than normal risk to an insurer

Synonyms of substandard

• unacceptable
• poor
• wrong
• lame
• deficient
• bad
• inferior
• flawed

Examples of substandard in a Sentence

a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation

Recent Examples on the Web

Many were found to be substandard, overpriced or not built at all. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

Detroit has more than enough weapons to bounce back from a 9-8 season that was considered substandard for this era of the team. — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 Sep. 2026

Injuries and substandard play during the 2025 season left Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert in vulnerable positions all too frequently. — Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 1 Sep. 2026

The Dolphins, resting their talent-needy starting defense, fought with backups that will provide substandard depth this season. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for substandard

• meandered
• nonstandard
• slandered
• standard

Kids Definition

substandard

adjective

sub·​stan·​dard ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd 

ˈsəb-

1

: varying from or falling short of a standard or norm

substandard housing

2

: following a pattern of linguistic usage that is not considered standard

substandard English

Legal Definition

substandard

adjective

sub·​stan·​dard

: deviating from or falling short of a standard or norm: as

a

: of a quality lower than that prescribed by law

b

: constituting a greater than normal risk to an insurer