1
as in decent
of average to below average quality
a second-rate song from a songwriter who has done much better
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
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
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Recent Examples of second-rate
Moreno said Bad Bunny is a second-rate performer and said his performing at the Super Bowl is a partisan choice.
—
Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Oct. 2025
The freshman quarterback has faced second-rate competition thus far and has daunting matchups next month.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2025
Occasionally held back by a very mid-'00s aesthetic and stylistic choices that come across second-rate David Lynch, No Smoking is nonetheless an effectively paranoid adaptation of King for another culture.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The Hundred feels like a second-rate cartoon animation in comparison.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Oct. 2025
The freshman quarterback has faced second-rate competition thus far and has daunting matchups next month.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2025
Occasionally held back by a very mid-'00s aesthetic and stylistic choices that come across second-rate David Lynch, No Smoking is nonetheless an effectively paranoid adaptation of King for another culture.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The Hundred feels like a second-rate cartoon animation in comparison.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate
Adjective
-
England, in theory, have players who can offer a decent facsimile of this (Elliot Anderson and Ezri Konsa, in particular), but Tuchel seems inclined to build his England squad around striker and captain Harry Kane over anyone else.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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Madrid has failed to win a single major honor since Mbappé arrived at the club, and despite having a decent season based on statistics, there are calls from some Madrid fans to sell their star man.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Husbands are also inferior house cleaners.—
Joe Salas
May 09,
New Atlas,
9 May 2026
-
Though Rogers is Christian, his story of transformation from weakling to hero certainly spoke to young Jewish boys and men, who were often inaccurately portrayed in the media and press as intellectually superior but physically inferior.—
Miriam Eve Mora,
The Conversation,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The reason all of this is happening, probably more than any other, is that clipping is cheap.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
Surprisingly the most expensive hairpiece so far has been Attenborough’s, which Fortune reveals was a hybrid of a cheap £20 ($26) wig at the back combined with tens of man-hours knotting individual strands of hair onto a lace front to create the centenarian’s familiar pate.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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During a mediocre season, many fans, hoping to improve their team’s draft position, root for their side to lose.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
This is not a problem confined to mediocre leaders.—
Bryce Hoffman,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
While minor, the crashes point to challenges in object recognition and spatial awareness, particularly in complex parking or tight urban environments.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
16 May 2026
-
The Porter County Election Board worked through some minor kinks with the county’s new voting equipment during the election certification at noon on Friday in the tabulation room of the Elections & Registration Office.—
Shelley Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Harper opened a small dance studio, on Forty-sixth Street; business was poor until Bradley was hired and revamped Delroy’s act.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
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Still vehicle electronics can be damaged from reverse polarity, poor or wrong connection points or voltage spikes from improper equipment.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier subpoenaed the NFL on Wednesday after the league failed to provide a satisfactory response to the Republican official’s concerns about diversity hiring practices.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
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And the Anza-Borrego Foundation that opposes the power line going through any portion of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park told the Union-Tribune that undergrounding the line within the park is not a satisfactory solution.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Rob-Will, don’t be mean to our BFF Azul!—
William Earl,
Variety,
15 May 2026
-
With a mix of personalities, relationship histories and different forms of dwarfism, the group explores what love, honesty and truly belonging really mean.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-rate. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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