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
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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an inferior science textbook that was out-of-date the day that it was published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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inferior
Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
Beaten 4-1 at Bolton Wanderers, Leeds were effectively relegated to the second tier with two games remaining because of their vastly inferior goal difference.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Noun
That comes to the Philippines in the form of war, as well as through the invocation, or establishment, of American-style modes of government and education that place Filipinos along this racial hierarchy, identifying them as these inferiors that need to be taught how to govern themselves.
—Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The Heat has four losses against the teams with the five worst records in the league this season, but Miami took advantage of an inferior opponent on Saturday.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
Beaten 4-1 at Bolton Wanderers, Leeds were effectively relegated to the second tier with two games remaining because of their vastly inferior goal difference.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferior
Noun
-
The charges allege Roberts-Smith killed and caused a subordinate to kill at Kakarak village on April 12, 2009.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
But last year, the pay of Sacramento’s interim city manager was less than her subordinate.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 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
-
Meanwhile, at home, small appliances might break down or a minor breakage could occur.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The restaurant became a minor sensation—the titular dish is terrific, silken and subtle and rich, but what most stood out was a rotating lineup of specials, mostly hawker-style Malaysian fare, particularly the food of Klang, his parents’ home town, on Malaysia’s western coast.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Independent opinion polls show support for Fidesz has dropped to its lowest level in years.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The Oilers scored on all three power-play chances in the best performance for that unit since Leon Draisaitl went down with a lower-body injury on March 15 after scoring with the man advantage early in that game.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Killing dogs in the street became increasingly unacceptable, and rabies vaccines became available.—
Rachel Sugar,
Curbed,
8 Apr. 2026
-
To Hafley, that’s unacceptable.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 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
-
Arsenal were pretty poor but won, Sporting were pretty good but lost.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Ackman blamed its poor share price performance partly on the delay of UMG’s listing in the United States.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Your mean blood sugar could appear perfectly fine while the peaks and valleys quietly take a toll.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
7 Apr. 2026
-
The mean annual wage tailors, dressmakers and custom sewers earned as of May 2024 was $44,050 a year, compared to $68,000 for all workers, according to the federal bureau’s calculations.—
Anne D’Innocenzio,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferior. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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