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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lower
situated lower down
creatures that inhabit the dark, inferior depths of the ocean
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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an inferior science textbook that was out-of-date the day that it was published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
Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, Oviedo and Sepúlveda’s claims that Indians were inferior were echoed in the pronouncements of any number of U.S. Presidents, who argued that the country’s expansion across the continent was justified by Indian or Mexican barbarism.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
Lower-caste Hindus and Muslims were frequently forced to subsist on food considered inferior, such as crabs, frogs, and snakes.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 2 May 2025
This isn't just about a fine; the Commission forcing us to change our business model effectively imposes a multi-billion-dollar tariff on Meta while requiring us to offer an inferior service.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Adjective
To justify even more regulation and centralization, big-government advocates naively assert false claims that American medical care is inferior.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, Oviedo and Sepúlveda’s claims that Indians were inferior were echoed in the pronouncements of any number of U.S. Presidents, who argued that the country’s expansion across the continent was justified by Indian or Mexican barbarism.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
Lower-caste Hindus and Muslims were frequently forced to subsist on food considered inferior, such as crabs, frogs, and snakes.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 2 May 2025
This isn't just about a fine; the Commission forcing us to change our business model effectively imposes a multi-billion-dollar tariff on Meta while requiring us to offer an inferior service.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferior
Noun
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The groups slapped by the new sanctions, issued by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), include the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and Iran Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA), an AEOI subordinate.—
Filip Timotija,
The Hill,
9 Apr. 2025
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Rudin had been a prolific producer of artistically ambitious, and often successful, work, but was dogged for decades by complaints about yelling at, firing and occasionally hurling things at subordinates.—
Michael Paulson,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 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
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In some cases, lawyers said students had their legal statuses altered for minor traffic violations, such as unpaid parking tickets.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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Nina and Jim are forced to work overtime to re-center key story components that get lost amid more minor twists and turns.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Abarth is low cost, high return and should be encouraged.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
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Still the newcomers flood in, attracted by the climate, lake and lower cost of living than other parts of the country.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
All these attacks are unacceptable, and this isn't just an American problem.—
Mandalit del Barco,
NPR,
13 May 2025
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That should be unacceptable to American negotiators.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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The story of 2022 (and 2021 to a lesser extent) was energy.—
Nicole Goodkind,
CNN,
31 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 23 points and OG Anunoby bounced back from two poor performances by scoring 20 for the Knicks, who can win the series Wednesday night at Boston.—
Brian Mahoney,
Baltimore Sun,
13 May 2025
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This results in a very poor Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 232.7% (against 21.5% for the S&P 500).—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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Everything inland of the mean high tide line can be considered private, but as beaches erode and sea levels rise, that line becomes a moving target, Willis said.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
16 May 2025
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And then finally, the cuts to snap are just mean and cruel.—
Obed Manuel,
NPR,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferior. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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