as in subordinate
one who is of lower rank and typically under the authority of another
she is nice to her inferiors as well as to her superiors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lower
situated lower down
creatures that inhabit the dark, inferior depths of the ocean
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2
as in minor
of little or less value or merit
a girl who has always felt inferior to her older sister
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3
as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank
at one time, the upper crust liked to believe that inferior people were fit only to be servants
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4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
an inferior science textbook that was out-of-date the day that it was published
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5
as in lesser
having not so great importance or rank as another
an inferior officer cannot strike a superior under any circumstances
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6
as in poor
of low quality
inferior chocolate candy that no serious chocolate lover would think of eating
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inferior
Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, Oviedo and Sepúlveda’s claims that Indians were inferior were echoed in the pronouncements of any number of U.S. Presidents, who argued that the country’s expansion across the continent was justified by Indian or Mexican barbarism.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
Lower-caste Hindus and Muslims were frequently forced to subsist on food considered inferior, such as crabs, frogs, and snakes.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 2 May 2025
This isn't just about a fine; the Commission forcing us to change our business model effectively imposes a multi-billion-dollar tariff on Meta while requiring us to offer an inferior service.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Adjective
To justify even more regulation and centralization, big-government advocates naively assert false claims that American medical care is inferior.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, Oviedo and Sepúlveda’s claims that Indians were inferior were echoed in the pronouncements of any number of U.S. Presidents, who argued that the country’s expansion across the continent was justified by Indian or Mexican barbarism.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
Lower-caste Hindus and Muslims were frequently forced to subsist on food considered inferior, such as crabs, frogs, and snakes.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 2 May 2025
This isn't just about a fine; the Commission forcing us to change our business model effectively imposes a multi-billion-dollar tariff on Meta while requiring us to offer an inferior service.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferior
Noun
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Her subordinates were transferred to the inspection division, Congress was told.—
Charlie Savage,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
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The police chief of the North Bergen Police Department in New Jersey will be sued by five subordinates after being accused of turning the department into a den of debauchery.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2024
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Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices.—
Frank Witsil,
Detroit Free Press,
19 June 2023
Adjective
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In some cases, lawyers said students had their legal statuses altered for minor traffic violations, such as unpaid parking tickets.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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Nina and Jim are forced to work overtime to re-center key story components that get lost amid more minor twists and turns.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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Abarth is low cost, high return and should be encouraged.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
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First, expectations that the digitalization of tax administration – as exemplified by the OECD’s Tax Administration 3.0 model – will simplify matters are lower than those expressed last year.—
Amanda Tickel,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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The first project yields too many false positives, introducing an unacceptable amount of friction into the consumer experience.—
Shazia Manus,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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But Humane Society officials insist any cut over $1 million is unacceptable and will prompt the nonprofit to stop providing service to the city.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Toronto’s Fred VanVleet appears to be the top target, but Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have been linked to the team at various points.—
Staff Writer
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2023
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The story of 2022 (and 2021 to a lesser extent) was energy.—
Nicole Goodkind,
CNN,
31 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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This tactic is sometimes used to justify letting an employee go under the guise of poor performance.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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The product was released in 2023 to a poor reception, and discontinued before the company began winding down operations in February.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Everything inland of the mean high tide line can be considered private, but as beaches erode and sea levels rise, that line becomes a moving target, Willis said.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
16 May 2025
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And then finally, the cuts to snap are just mean and cruel.—
Obed Manuel,
NPR,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferior. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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