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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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
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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an inferior science textbook that was out-of-date the day that it was published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
Beren Cross, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
Historically, similar stories have followed asymmetric conflicts, where technologically inferior forces attribute defeat to mysterious or near-mythical weapons.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026
The Heat had beat up on inferior opponents this season before Saturday’s ugly loss to the Pacers.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
The result is an inferior copy of the original.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Adjective
On Saturday, his view was far inferior, but far more joyous.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
Historically, similar stories have followed asymmetric conflicts, where technologically inferior forces attribute defeat to mysterious or near-mythical weapons.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Jan. 2026
The Heat had beat up on inferior opponents this season before Saturday’s ugly loss to the Pacers.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
The result is an inferior copy of the original.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferior
Noun
-
The Labor Department inspector general's office has interviewed staff in connection with the investigation, which followed a complaint that Chavez-DeRemer was having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and abusing her office.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Quarterbacks who have attained a certain status understandably don’t want to start over as subordinates, be assigned grunt work and wait in line for promotions.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 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
-
Although not a major concern, some minor coastal flooding and beach erosion are possible along the coastline as well.—
Matthew Villafane,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Another person was critically injured, five had serious injuries and eight had minor injuries, officials said.—
Dave Collins,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Previously, just one satellite in the program had reached low Earth orbit — NEONSAT-1, which flew atop an Electron in April 2024.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Rieder is believed to prefer lower interest rates, a top priority for a president who wants massive rate cuts.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
These actions, coupled with her own words, reveal an unacceptable disdain for our constitutional system of checks and balances.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 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
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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
Adjective
-
Evening people were 79% more likely to have poor overall heart health compared with those in the intermediate group, the study found.—
Dr. Joseph Wendt,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Audits have identified poor planning, weak oversight, and insufficient monitoring of quality and cost.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Investing in stocks with low valuations or those trading considerably below their peak values while still maintaining strong margins affords investors the chance to benefit from mean reversion and potential re-rating of valuations.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Cressida Cowper Regal mean girl and Eloise's unlikely friend-match Cressida Cowper is around 23 years old in season 3, 22 in season 2, and 21 in season 1.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferior. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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