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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of second-rate
But even as China emerged as a major car manufacturer, its homegrown brands were still seen as second-rate.
—
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
His cigars weren’t as nasty as his habit of chasing bad money with worse—high living and foolish investments, with second-rate writing meant to plug the gap.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Sometime in the late 18th century, though, offal started suffering from an image problem, viewed by some people to be an affordable but second-rate food.
—Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
Aside from the weather, hourlong wait times for food, defective wristbands and second-rate VIP experiences were among the complaints from festivalgoers.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
His cigars weren’t as nasty as his habit of chasing bad money with worse—high living and foolish investments, with second-rate writing meant to plug the gap.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Sometime in the late 18th century, though, offal started suffering from an image problem, viewed by some people to be an affordable but second-rate food.
—Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
Aside from the weather, hourlong wait times for food, defective wristbands and second-rate VIP experiences were among the complaints from festivalgoers.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate
Adjective
-
Then, even those with decent jobs struggled as rents started skyrocketing.—
Jennifer Ludden,
NPR,
7 June 2025
-
On its own, the ICE delivers a decent if not incredible 51.4mpg (42.8mpg with US gallon).—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
Told that Indigenous people were evolutionarily inferior to white Europeans and Americans, visitors accepted the idea that colonialist progress would soon condemn these groups to extinction.—
Shoshi Parks,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 June 2025
-
The Pacers are just way more inferior and the Thunder got stagnant all of a sudden.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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This means some fans will be watching Messi for as little as $4, which is a far cry from the cheapest seats being cast at $349 when the draw was made in December.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
-
In January, the cheapest seat at Hard Rock Stadium cost $230 on Ticketmaster, which is FIFA's official ticket sales platform.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Harrison, the key player for the Red Sox insofar as immediate return, has been a mediocre (4.48 ERA in 35 starts) mid-rotation starter for the Giants.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2025
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While the pressure will be on for Switzerland to improve their mediocre tournament record, there is only one way to make diamonds (hint: starts with p and ends in ressure).—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
Trending Video Inside Lil Baby’s Stylish Atlanta Oasis Other minor, thoughtful details made this bed a special one to me.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
20 June 2025
-
Show more And on Monday, hospital staff accomplished a minor medical feat: doctors birthed triplets in a cesarean section procedure that the delivering physician said would have been complicated and risky even in the best of times.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
Orlik, who was seventy-seven, was in poor health and desperate to get his pictures back.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
17 June 2025
-
In past decades, this stage was easy to spot: clashing colors, poor makeup attempts, and wardrobes inspired by favorite TV stars.—
Dia Gallo,
Parents,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
At highway cruising speed, the SUV is satisfactory.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
16 June 2025
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The sound from the optional Bose 12-speaker upgrade is satisfactory.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Out on the mean streets of O.C., the coming changes have sparked some trepidation.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
11 June 2025
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Changing vaccination guidelines, ever-evolving variants and strains, threats to health insurance and more mean COVID is still very much a regular conversation on the lips of lawmakers, regulators and the general public.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-rate. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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