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
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
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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
-
The Dolphins had a decent, although not necessarily strong 2025 draft class despite the fact all seven draftees got playing time last season, and five made at least one start.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Education isn’t a cure-all; North Korea appears to have decent schools yet is impoverished and totalitarian.—
Nicholas D. Kristof,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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It's been fashionable since the early 2000s to consider reality shows inferior to scripted or traditional documentary series.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Feb. 2026
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The market was once concerned that ChatGPT creator OpenAI would threaten the Google parent’s dominant search business, and that its own AI technology was inferior.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Both Szakin and Zuleta agree that walking is one of the best—and cheapest—ways to take it all in.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Feb. 2026
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At European resorts specifically, renting a week’s worth of gear is often cheaper (and easier) than checking your skis and boot bags onto international flights.—
Erik Buckingham,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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When a team has a losing or mediocre season over several seasons shouldn’t the coach take some of the blame.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
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Hedda — the bored, mercurial and vicious wife of a mediocre academic — is known as the Hamlet of women’s roles because it’s widely considered the most complex female part ever written for the stage.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Aside from the three fatalities, four people were hospitalized including two men, both 35, who were in critical condition, and two other men, 37 and 38, who sustained minor injuries, according to the fire department.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
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Of the more than 70,000 people currently in immigration detention facilities, only about 25% of them have any kind of criminal conviction, which can include traffic violations and other minor offenses, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, which tracks detention data.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Semmann said stores raise prices primarily in response to supply chain issues, such as poor harvests, changes to international trade policy or increasing logistical costs.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Boating conditions are poor across offshore waters south of Cape Canaveral, while small craft need to exercise caution near the inlets.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Roma wanted a satisfactory replacement signed before letting Tsimikas return.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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Yeah … very satisfactory to hear that.—
Natalie Morales,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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What kind of mean girl would confide in me about her husband Evan’s depression and their financial struggles and her estrangement from her father?—
Jen Wang,
Vogue,
6 Feb. 2026
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And anyone who spends time on social media has probably seen fellow adults post things that are divisive, mean or inaccurate.—
Larry Magid,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-rate. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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