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
The occasion: a second-rate literary award ceremony.
—
Dwight Garner, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
It must be acknowledged and accepted that educators are the experts in their profession and not second-rate.
—Patricia A. Daniel, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2025
But today, restaurants in Sicily, Malta, Greece, Spain and Croatia mostly serve second-rate tuna, the yellowfin variety that comes from the Pacific or southern Atlantic.
—Julia Amberger, Nanni Fontana, Marzio Mian, & Nicola Scevola (tr. Elettra Pauletto), The Dial, 3 Apr. 2025
Farke has found a way to maximise Firpo’s talents, even with the caveat this is a former Barcelona full-back playing against second-rate opposition.
—Beren Cross, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Dwight Garner, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
It must be acknowledged and accepted that educators are the experts in their profession and not second-rate.
—Patricia A. Daniel, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2025
But today, restaurants in Sicily, Malta, Greece, Spain and Croatia mostly serve second-rate tuna, the yellowfin variety that comes from the Pacific or southern Atlantic.
—Julia Amberger, Nanni Fontana, Marzio Mian, & Nicola Scevola (tr. Elettra Pauletto), The Dial, 3 Apr. 2025
Farke has found a way to maximise Firpo’s talents, even with the caveat this is a former Barcelona full-back playing against second-rate opposition.
—Beren Cross, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate
Adjective
-
Those who stuck around to watch the game saw a decent debut for the Hopkins native outshone by another former UConn star, Napheesa Collier, who scored 34 to equal the Lynx record for most points in a season opener, per ESPN.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
17 May 2025
-
Tellez is a decent hitter — sort of dangerous but also not dangerous enough to prevent him from being let go each of the past two offseasons.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
Robbins: Is the East an inferior conference compared to the West?—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
-
Before and after each game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr has talked about how Golden State has to play with pace, execute the gameplan defensively and win the possession battle — basically, all of the controllables that an inferior team in a matchup has to execute in order to pull off an upset.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
Three or four people to one cabin was far cheaper than the same number of people booking three or four plane tickets to get to Spain.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
-
These technologies could be safer, cheaper, and offer higher energy storage.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Still, Wallen possesses a kind of uncanny magnetism that, for better or worse, can elevate a mediocre song.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
16 May 2025
-
The other sides who recorded good finishes despite a mediocre goal difference tended to be cautious, cagey teams.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
In some cases, lawyers said students had their legal statuses altered for minor traffic violations, such as unpaid parking tickets.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
-
Nina and Jim are forced to work overtime to re-center key story components that get lost amid more minor twists and turns.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each added 23 points and OG Anunoby bounced back from two poor performances by scoring 20 for the Knicks, who can win the series Wednesday night at Boston.—
Brian Mahoney,
Baltimore Sun,
13 May 2025
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This results in a very poor Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 232.7% (against 21.5% for the S&P 500).—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
The Air Quality Index (AQI), developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), measures air pollution on a scale from 0 to 500: 0-50 (Green): Good—air quality is satisfactory.—
Joe Edwards,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
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In finding the right fit and tailoring these systems, a clear understanding of your business priorities and pain points can go a long way in choosing a satisfactory solution.—
Shiv Kaushik,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Everything inland of the mean high tide line can be considered private, but as beaches erode and sea levels rise, that line becomes a moving target, Willis said.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
16 May 2025
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And then finally, the cuts to snap are just mean and cruel.—
Obed Manuel,
NPR,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-rate. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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