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
Relevance
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
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 Hundred feels like a second-rate cartoon animation in comparison.
—
Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
After years of being considered second-rate properties, both are back on the upswing thanks to the 2022 Hulu hit Prey and last year’s Alien: Romulus.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
Florence Pugh leads a new ragtag group of second-rate heroes that includes David Harbour’s Red Guardian and Wyatt Russell’s John Walker.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 11 July 2025
His appearance in Meghan’s [‘Baby Mama Dance’] video looked so second-rate.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
After years of being considered second-rate properties, both are back on the upswing thanks to the 2022 Hulu hit Prey and last year’s Alien: Romulus.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 23 July 2025
Florence Pugh leads a new ragtag group of second-rate heroes that includes David Harbour’s Red Guardian and Wyatt Russell’s John Walker.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 11 July 2025
His appearance in Meghan’s [‘Baby Mama Dance’] video looked so second-rate.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate
Adjective
-
The University of Florida product made a decent impact his rookie season, appearing in 12 games and rushing 38 times for 161 yards and a touchdown.—
Noah Camras,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Meanwhile, food aboard the International Space Station and the Tiangong leaves much to be desired, with the menus reading like something more suited to iron rations for a Round Britain yacht race than a decent meal.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Friday marked the All-NBA guard’s first chance to pour it on an inferior foe.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
-
At the beginning of the industrial revolution, the big bosses considered women inferior to their male counterparts (weaker, more emotional, less reliable, and so forth).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Chinese retailer, known for its range of cheap ultra-fast-fashion clothing and criticisms of its labor and environmental practices, is nestled on the sixth floor of a more than century-old building in Paris, a city famous for high-end fashion and a recent green push.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The other side of this has been the money in the industry’s pivot first to cheaper talk shows, which don’t innovate enough to merit much critique, and now to a second pivot to turn those interview shows into video series, which makes podcasts more friendly on TikTok and Instagram and YouTube.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
How mediocre competitively balanced is the East right now?—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
And an example could have been made with one of the Dolphins’ mediocre starters.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The only way that such a minor joke would set a fiancée off is if her engagement was already in a delicate place, and that is none of the housewives’ jobs to fix.—
Shamira Ibrahim,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The concept alone made headlines across the political aisle when the show was first announced, but the its digital marketing across Instagram and TikTok has turned it into a minor sensation.—
David Zucker,
Deadline,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Ministry of Environment blamed this year’s surge on a poor acorn harvest – which drove a similar spate of attacks in 2023.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Rather, the slow start (by Ovechkin’s standards) to this season seemed due more to poor puck luck.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
To receive the senior rate, a person must apply to the Rogers Water Utilities and present satisfactory proof of age, such as a government issued identification card, driver's license, passport or birth certificate.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
-
His plan and his answers in terms of navigating those name, image, and likeness waters were not viewed satisfactory enough.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Pelosi is mean-spirited and vindictive.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Protecting her peace proved more difficult, however, when the Queen of Rap began firing off increasingly mean-spirited posts about her on X this past summer.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-rate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share