How to Use second-rate in a Sentence
second-rate
adjective-
These fans understand that M.L.S. is a second-rate show, and that the real hot action is taking place overseas, in the élite leagues of Europe.
—Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, 23 July 2023
-
After all, the media companies are only going to spend so much for the rights to broadcast second-rate games.
—Jon Wilner | , oregonlive, 14 Aug. 2023
-
Virtual meetings aren’t just second-rate versions of the in-person kind.
—William Arruda, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
-
While Holmes won’t be behind the wheel, Hettinger Racing isn’t settling for second-rate talent.
—Greg Engle, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
-
The Trojans still had few postseason options available to them beyond a second-rate bowl game.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
-
Here’s a selection of the best upcoming events where there’ll be no need to eat out of a Styrofoam box or listen to second-rate indie bands.
—Joe Minihane, CNN, 5 Mar. 2023
-
For some philosophers, hope is a second-rate way of relating to reality.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
-
Frozen blueberries are especially handy to have around for drink recipes—and not just as a second-rate substitute for fresh produce.
—Ali Ramee, Southern Living, 2 July 2023
-
The sing-song qualities of his music did not sit well with many music critics, who dismissed him as a second-rate talent with little to offer.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Sep. 2023
-
Moore herself has, with sly self-mockery, invoked Stephen Sondheim’s line that excessive bird imagery is a sign of a second-rate poet.
—Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
-
The world’s most valuable basketball franchise has a second-rate broadcasting team.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 5 May 2024
-
However, the thing that really bothers many parents like me who opt for medicated births is the idea that this kind of scenario is somehow second-rate.
—Marisa Cohen, Parents, 12 Aug. 2023
-
East Coast media have started to sour on sample sale culture, with their hours-long waits, appointment systems and second-rate selection.
—Dave Schilling, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023
-
After the composer’s death, a hokey big operatic ending got tacked on with a showy duet by a second-rate composer, Franco Alfano.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
-
But there’s another component to the issue of second-rate men’s basketball: The collective ceiling.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
-
Aside from the weather, hourlong wait times for food, defective wristbands and second-rate VIP experiences were among the complaints from festivalgoers.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 5 May 2024
-
According to Charter, Disney had placed some of its best content exclusively on its streamers, leaving cable with second-rate content.
—Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2023
-
Movies based on vintage, often second-rate network shows don’t usually offer audiences much more than weak, watery nostalgia.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
-
And if Russia is a second-rate energy power, Putin’s political and economic model, much less his imperialist fantasies, no longer makes sense.
—Edward Fishman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2023
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'second-rate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Last Updated: