SECOND-RATE Synonyms: 182 Similar and Opposite Words

second-rate

adjective

ˌse-kən(d)-ˈrāt

Definition of second-rate

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

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

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 animation features a lot of rotoscoping, and the result is an aesthetic that’s both oddly fluid and charmingly cheap, like some second-rate Ralph Bakshi effort. — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026 LaFleur could never find the winning formula during Green Bay’s second-rate, 8-9 season in 2022, then Gutekunst traded Rodgers to the New York Jets 3 ½ months later. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 15 Mar. 2026 For those who don't know his story, Darnold has gone through so much during his last eight seasons, including being pushed around the league like a second-rate quarterback and being called a bust by many in the profession. — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026 Maybe then the United States will care about slipping to second-rate. — Noah Shachtman, Wired News, 13 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for second-rate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate

Adjective

While the price can be inhibiting for some — with chef pants priced as high as $190 and jackets as much as $210, the price of a decent knife or other cooking tools — Argoti feels the heavy usage justifies the cost for him.

— Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
The other was a decent man constantly being tormented by God in order to test his faith.

— Chuck Lorre, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of decent

Adjective

After years of looking inferior to its Western brethren, the NBA’s Eastern Conference is enjoying a renaissance, galvanized by a steady influx of talent and the relocation of star players to new teams.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
Brandon put up big numbers against inferior opponents, but struggled against Texas and Auburn, and Heupel clearly doesn’t see this as a development year for his team.

— Seth Emerson, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of inferior

Adjective

Amazon’s two cheaper models also come in child-friendly versions tailored to whether your child is between three and five, or six and 12.

— James Peckham, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026
The audience is full of young people — the revival has continued the original production’s commitment to offering cheap day-of tickets — many of whom have strong connections to the material.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

The main downside is mediocre image quality due to limited color coverage and modest brightness, which largely limits it to lower-impact tasks like working with office documents and viewing web pages and short videos.

— Tony Hoffman, PC Magazine, 26 Sep. 2026
Being mediocre in the American League kept most teams in the postseason hunt, but the Royals couldn’t even manage that.

— Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of mediocre

Adjective

The bus and a security checkpoint booth were damaged, and one border service employee suffered minor injuries, police said.

— HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026
In the 120 years that the State Russian Museum has owned the painting, only minor conservation has been carried out.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of minor

Adjective

After months of negotiations failed to yield a satisfactory agreement, the union approved strike action earlier this month in a vote held in tandem with unions at the Brooklyn Museum and American Folk Art Museum.

— Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
The effort displayed by Kansas’ 14 men’s basketball players at Bill Self’s 24th annual Boot Camp proved satisfactory to the Hall of Fame Jayhawks coach.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of satisfactory

Adjective

There’s a wide array of options in this oddly-perfect elegant ballroom, along with a specialty chef that whips up a mean omelet before your eyes.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
The releases buy time, but mean inventories are being consumed rather than rebuilt, making restocking a longer-term source of demand.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026