1
as in decent
of average to below average quality
a second-rate song from a songwriter who has done much better
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inferior
of little or less value or merit
a second-rate company that was never considered among the top manufacturers of televisions
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3
as in cheap
of low quality
second-rate goods specifically manufactured for the low end of the market
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of second-rate
His appearance in Meghan’s [‘Baby Mama Dance’] video looked so second-rate.
—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 8 July 2025
But the paucity of high-level talent across those 12 programs reflects the second-rate state of college basketball in the West.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 28 June 2025
The scandal led to a divorce, followed by Fred’s relocation to a second-rate college on the West Coast—everything had been predictable, stale like last week’s bread.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
The father, Buddy Smart (Bryan Cranston), is the clan’s second-rate crackpot visionary, a cockeyed optimist who dresses in fuddy-duddy jackets and never knows where the next paycheck is coming from.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 8 July 2025
But the paucity of high-level talent across those 12 programs reflects the second-rate state of college basketball in the West.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 28 June 2025
The scandal led to a divorce, followed by Fred’s relocation to a second-rate college on the West Coast—everything had been predictable, stale like last week’s bread.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
The father, Buddy Smart (Bryan Cranston), is the clan’s second-rate crackpot visionary, a cockeyed optimist who dresses in fuddy-duddy jackets and never knows where the next paycheck is coming from.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate
Adjective
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Before the hit, Ketler had a decent amount of muscle mass from his intensive training schedule and working in landscaping the summer before, which his doctors would later tell him probably saved his life.—
Luke Chinman,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Safety in school might mean a decent cafeteria lunch, or access to a nurse down the hall, or being treated with dignity regardless of one’s gender identity.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Numerous technologies that people initially considered inferior have ended up becoming revolutionary breakthroughs.—
Sadhasivam Mohanadas,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Women are greedy, untrustworthy, weak and inferior, these influencers say.—
Will Carless,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But that cheaper investment has largely been eviscerated, according to a cadre of sports bankers CNBC interviewed.—
Michael Ozanian,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
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Travelers can snag cheap flights to explore New York in September and October.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Many will no longer accept mediocre or sub-par service.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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West Virginia finished the 2024 season with a mediocre 6-7 record in the Big 12.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The higher the position, the greater the visibility, and the more costly even minor lapses become.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Blue jumpsuits indicate an immigration infraction or a minor criminal charge; red ones denote a more serious crime.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But prorating three years of player profits down to 12 months, as UEFA’s rule does, reduces the immediate efficacy of successful trading in the market, the very strategy that poorer clubs increasingly rely on to climb the ladder.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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Like most extended car warranty providers, CarShield excludes pre-existing conditions that existed before your warranty took effect, as well as damage resulting from poor maintenance, neglect or intentional abuse.—
Brian Sloan,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On a scale of one to five, an average or satisfactory experience is a three.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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Of those, six — including five children — are in satisfactory condition.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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What's the meanest tweet ever directed at you?—
Indianapolis Star,
IndyStar,
5 Sep. 2025
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The mean first frost date in the city is September 20, based on data between 1991 and 2020, according to the NWS.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-rate. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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