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
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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
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But on Wednesday, bank stocks went lower even as many reported decent quarters, Cramer said.—
Julie Coleman,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
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At the time, acquiring Aşik for a 2015 first-round pick seemed like a decent way to keep the face of the franchise happy and double down on interior defense.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Historically, similar stories have followed asymmetric conflicts, where technologically inferior forces attribute defeat to mysterious or near-mythical weapons.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
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The Heat had beat up on inferior opponents this season before Saturday’s ugly loss to the Pacers.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China have designed a new sodium-sulfur battery with higher power density and discharge capacity than before, enabling a cheaper, safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
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Fentanyl is cheap, compact, and lethal at microscopic doses, produced through decentralized networks designed to survive disruption.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And what this array of talents had gotten them was a shitty job in a town outside Munich in the second division of a mediocre German league.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
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The final conclusion on the draftees and free agents is likely similar to the final conclusion on each these seasons — mediocre-ish.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This includes refusing to follow crew instructions about seating assignments, escalating complaints with nearby passengers—such as disputes over arm rests, seat kicking, or reclining—or otherwise turning a minor annoyance into a confrontation.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Jan. 2026
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Six other people sustained minor injuries in the collision.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
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In recent games, KU’s communication has been pretty poor on defense and that’s led to players taking (and too often missing) wide-open 3-pointers.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And yet no analytical framework ever yields a fully satisfactory result.—
Amir Ahmadi Arian,
The Dial,
15 Jan. 2026
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But the Outback is satisfactory in both categories.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Not because the moms themselves are toxic people, but because the dynamic shifts into an ugly place with mean-girl behavior.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
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To make matters worse, charging nonresidents more than residents pay is mean-spirited and unfair.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-rate. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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