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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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an inferior science textbook that was out-of-date the day that it was published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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inferior
Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The Dream had more second-chance points and won the turnover margin, compensating for their inferior 3-point shooting.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Since its establishment by the 1947 National Security Act, the agency’s intelligence collection, analysis and foresight have proven inferior to that of The New York Times at a tiny fraction of the cost.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 15 May 2025
Like the Houthis', Taiwan's military capabilities are inferior to and smaller in number than those of its enemy.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Adjective
That Ferrari was, by quite some way, an inferior car compared to 2025’s RB21.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The Dream had more second-chance points and won the turnover margin, compensating for their inferior 3-point shooting.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Since its establishment by the 1947 National Security Act, the agency’s intelligence collection, analysis and foresight have proven inferior to that of The New York Times at a tiny fraction of the cost.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 15 May 2025
Like the Houthis', Taiwan's military capabilities are inferior to and smaller in number than those of its enemy.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferior
Noun
-
Season two had ended on the devastating cliffhanger of the games being incomplete and Gi-hun and his subordinates once again being held captive.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
31 May 2025
-
Her subordinates were transferred to the inspection division, Congress was told.—
Charlie Savage,
New York Times,
20 May 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
-
One allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail, and three deputies were struck, causing minor injuries, the department said.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
-
No one was inside, but a neighbor and firefighter had minor injuries.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
Per Trump’s promise, the proposal leaves Title I (support for schools with low income students) and IDEA (funding for students with special needs) intact.—
Peter Greene,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
Even with the longstanding recommendations, vaccination rates were relatively low for children and pregnant women.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
And sometimes the soldiers can do things which are totally unacceptable and can be called crimes.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
6 June 2025
-
Tools that pose an unacceptable threat to rights or safety are banned outright.—
Dan Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
The story of 2022 (and 2021 to a lesser extent) was energy.—
Nicole Goodkind,
CNN,
31 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
Massive clouds of pollutants could collide in North Carolina this week and result in poor air quality conditions for millions.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
5 June 2025
-
The risk extends even to children due to increasing rates of childhood obesity and poor dietary habits.20 As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that healthy adults have their lipids checked every four to six years.—
MD Published,
Verywell Health,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
The other person who spoke in South Carolina, Tim Walz, is a special mixture of extreme buffoonery and a mean spirit, which is a toxic brew.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
1 June 2025
-
At its core, the CHOICE Act extends the allowable duration of noncompete clauses to four years for employees earning over twice the mean wage in their county, eliminating the requirement for employers to demonstrate a legitimate business interest before enforcing them.—
Sam Peak,
Sun Sentinel,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferior. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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