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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lower
situated lower down
creatures that inhabit the dark, inferior depths of the ocean
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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an inferior science textbook that was out-of-date the day that it was published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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inferior
Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2026
Associating Black people with primates has origins in eugenics arguments that Black people were biologically inferior or a lesser human.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
It's been fashionable since the early 2000s to consider reality shows inferior to scripted or traditional documentary series.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent immigrants are naturally inferior Americans, if they are considered American at all.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Adjective
But the Huskies were able to get by the league’s inferior teams.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2026
Associating Black people with primates has origins in eugenics arguments that Black people were biologically inferior or a lesser human.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 6 Feb. 2026
It's been fashionable since the early 2000s to consider reality shows inferior to scripted or traditional documentary series.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent immigrants are naturally inferior Americans, if they are considered American at all.
—Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferior
Noun
-
She was accused of misbehavior that included mismanaging the budget, failing to carry out personnel instructions and ordering a subordinate to spy by Palmer’s legally privileged email correspondence.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2026
-
As the rebels closed in on Damascus on December 7, 2024, Assad reassured his aides and subordinates that victory was near, and then fled in the night on a Russian jet, telling almost no one.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices.—
Frank Witsil,
Detroit Free Press,
19 June 2023
Adjective
-
After acquiring veteran pitcher Mitch Spence from the Athletics on Thursday, the Royals stayed busy Friday by signing lefty pitcher John Means to a minor-league deal.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The driver, who was believed to have had a medical emergency prior to the accident, was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Feb. 2026
-
All that is gone, even more so as Premier League matches are being switched to Mondays and Fridays, when demand for everything is lower.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The behavior's unacceptable, and so this is our way to try to end it or stop it, at least here in Manteca.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
That is completely unacceptable.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Even lesser-scale incidents like the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal and the Volkswagen emissions scandal erode trust in the institutions that help make our society possible and push it forward.—
Lindsey Witmer Collins,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Policymakers globally are increasingly worried that the unequal adoption of AI risks widening income and development gaps between rich and poor countries.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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In November, Jesse Jackon was hospitalized again after suffering a fall while protesting poor campus living conditions with students at Howard University.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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To me, being mean to each other was not supposed to be part of it.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Feb. 2026
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McDonald's was a mean one last year, only bringing its Grinch meal to Canada for the 2024 holidays.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferior. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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