subpar

adjective

ˈsəb-ˌpär How to pronounce subpar (audio)
Definition of subparnext
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard the service at the restaurant was subpar, to say the least

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 subpar The primary barrier has been the cumulative friction of subpar user experiences, misdirected marketing and an obsession with speculative trading over personal finance. — Jeff Mahony, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026 Fans don’t often flock to see something so aesthetically subpar. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026 Despite the subpar season, who was the first Dodger to leap out of the dugout to celebrate a teammate’s success? — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 His performance and leadership could foreshadow a dramatic improvement in Mizzou’s subpar passing game last season. — Pj Green september 4, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
  1. unacceptable
  2. poor
  3. wrong
  4. lame
  5. bad
  6. deficient
  7. terrible
  8. horrible
Adjective
  • Detection is no substitute for prevention, not when consequences are truly unacceptable.
    — Andrew Ginter, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The win won’t change what’s frankly been an unacceptable campaign for a program that was 18-1-4 just two seasons ago.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Measles usually kills two or three people in every 1,000 cases, the WHO says, but the disease can be more deadly in poorer nations because of factors such as malnutrition.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • That receiver sends that poor defender into next week at the pylon.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Without it, the language model is a very expensive way to write faster emails to the wrong people.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Those chats tended to include what was going right or wrong or could be better.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • Poetry gets left behind by the exigency of character development or, in the movie’s self-defeating logic, because the art form doesn’t really matter and is only a lame excuse for people who won’t take responsibility and grow up.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Blumenthal hopes to see action on KOSA in the lame-duck session.
    — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • High oil prices are bad for Asia, which imports most of its fuel.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Futures are worse, Asia closed deep in the red, and Europe is also broadly lower.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • The travel investigation doesn't establish that the firm's engineering designs were deficient and nothing in the records independently establishes that the performance adjustment was improper.
    — Tyler Horst, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • There’s lots of neutral hues available but the sunny yellow will brighten up any window-deficient bathroom.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of deficient
Adjective
  • The second storyline takes place in 2026 and concerns the murder of none other than Hal Jordan, who returned to Rushville as a social pariah after the terrible events that transpired 10 years before.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Eagles are struggling, the Cowboys look terrible, and the Giants don’t have a quarterback.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • There’s a big data center that just came to my community not long ago and their community engagement was horrible, absolutely horrible.
    — Dustin DeSoto, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
  • After the third day of squirting an experimental drug up his nose, Dylan Meetze felt horrible.
    — Amy Maxmen, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrible

Browse Nearby Words

subordination
subpar
subplot
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Cite this Entry

“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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