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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
an inferior science textbook that was out-of-date the day that it was published
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in lesser
having not so great importance or rank as another
an inferior officer cannot strike a superior under any circumstances
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in poor
of low quality
inferior chocolate candy that no serious chocolate lover would think of eating
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inferior
Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Indeed, allowing men but not women to have multiple spouses is clearly unequal and entwined with patriarchal ideology that positions women as subordinate or inferior to men.
—David W. Lawson, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025
Over time, Buffett has always said gold is inferior as a long-term investment.
—Alex Crippen, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025
An inferior pass rush impacts that.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Adjective
That's one child experiencing death by a thousand cuts with these inferior sequels.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Indeed, allowing men but not women to have multiple spouses is clearly unequal and entwined with patriarchal ideology that positions women as subordinate or inferior to men.
—David W. Lawson, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2025
Over time, Buffett has always said gold is inferior as a long-term investment.
—Alex Crippen, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2025
An inferior pass rush impacts that.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferior
Noun
-
For food service establishments like KFC, this means people who devote more than 40% of their time during the work week performing the same work as their subordinates.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The Charges The obstruction charge centers on allegations that Comey directed subordinates to remove or conceal those memos from FBI systems after his dismissal in May 2017, actions prosecutors claim impeded a lawful investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of classified material.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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
-
This was a minor bit of incomprehension on my part.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
He is being charged in juvenile court with evidence tampering and unlawful gun possession by a minor.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The research team highlighted that beyond water harvesting, these coatings could help reduce urban heat island effects, lower energy needs for air-conditioning and provide climate-resilient water sources in regions facing growing heat and water stress.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
-
When camping in an open environment, select a campsite in a valley, ravine, or low region.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Not making payments to them for even another day is simply unacceptable.—
Katherine Faulders,
ABC News,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Hufanga deemed that first-quarter Jeanty touchdown unacceptable because any touchdown is unacceptable at this point to Denver’s defense.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
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
-
The Ministry of Environment blamed this year’s surge on a poor acorn harvest – which drove a similar spate of attacks in 2023.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Rather, the slow start (by Ovechkin’s standards) to this season seemed due more to poor puck luck.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Pelosi is mean-spirited and vindictive.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Protecting her peace proved more difficult, however, when the Queen of Rap began firing off increasingly mean-spirited posts about her on X this past summer.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferior. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share