SECOND-RATE Synonyms: 182 Similar and Opposite Words

second-rate

adjective

ˌse-kən(d)-ˈrāt

Definition of second-rate

as in decent

of average to below average quality a second-rate song from a songwriter who has done much better

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in inferior

of little or less value or merit a second-rate company that was never considered among the top manufacturers of televisions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in cheap

of low quality second-rate goods specifically manufactured for the low end of the market

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 second-rate The animation features a lot of rotoscoping, and the result is an aesthetic that’s both oddly fluid and charmingly cheap, like some second-rate Ralph Bakshi effort. — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026 LaFleur could never find the winning formula during Green Bay’s second-rate, 8-9 season in 2022, then Gutekunst traded Rodgers to the New York Jets 3 ½ months later. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 15 Mar. 2026 For those who don't know his story, Darnold has gone through so much during his last eight seasons, including being pushed around the league like a second-rate quarterback and being called a bust by many in the profession. — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026 Maybe then the United States will care about slipping to second-rate. — Noah Shachtman, Wired News, 13 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for second-rate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate

Adjective

The large platter comes with guacamole, oddly served in a dip bowl but with decent flavor.

— Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2026
The battery life was only decent, neither especially short nor long.

— Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of decent

Adjective

Teams — worried about how a politically defiant Black quarterback on the roster would impact their bottom lines — over the next several seasons signed dozens of inferior quarterbacks to round out their depth charts.

— Mike Jones, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Luckily for the Hurricanes, the rest of their game on defense has held up against a pair of inferior opponents.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of inferior

Adjective

JetKVM Smaller, cheaper and now wireless JetKVM Mini will come in two versions.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2026
Wolk expressed confidence that J & J can continue growing through future patent expirations, which allow cheaper competition to erode sales of blockbuster drugs.

— Alexa LoMonaco,Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

But there’s no reason for alarm; none of the pitchers drafted by the Marlins in July were used in a minor-league game.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
The front camera uses a 135-degree field of view, which introduces minor edge distortion, but that's the price for capturing a broad swath of the road ahead.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of minor

Adjective

Renovation will only yield temporary improvement unless the original cause of a poor-quality lawn is remedied.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
The consequences of a poor performance in the takeaway department sets a very high standard for rookies, something that can only bode well for the future.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

The bonus would be paid over two years, contingent on satisfactory evaluations.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Not ready for prime time The video-generation technology rarely gets the content right on its first try, Sun said, adding that her team takes at least 10 attempts to create a satisfactory 15-second clip.

— Ling Wei, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026