substandard

adjective

ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd How to pronounce substandard (audio)
Definition of substandardnext
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation

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 substandard But Reddick shouldn’t yet be counted out because his recent downturn is more due to rotten luck than substandard performance. — Jess Bryant, New York Times, 4 July 2026 Many structures are built with substandard materials, and safety regulations are frequently ignored to reduce costs. — CNN Money, 1 July 2026 Structures are frequently built with substandard materials and safety regulations are sometimes ignored to reduce costs. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 Detainees held at the facility didn’t receive comprehensive health assessments, which meant that those with chronic conditions received substandard care, the report said. — Michael Biesecker, Fortune, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for substandard
Recent Examples of Synonyms for substandard
  1. unacceptable
  2. poor
  3. wrong
  4. lame
  5. deficient
  6. bad
  7. inferior
  8. flawed
Adjective
  • Tell them that their behavior is embarrassing and unacceptable.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
  • Other officials told me that, in meetings of White House staff, Finer, the deputy national-security adviser, often asked what civilian death toll would be deemed unacceptable.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Madrid had a poor 2024-25, failing to win the Spanish title or the Champions League, but Mbappe still scored 42 goals in 44 appearances.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Using Neanderthal cranium shapes to estimate specific brain regions’ volume, some investigators claimed to see signs of a mind with feeble linguistic abilities, poor executive function and an unremarkable memory.
    — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 20 July 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • First, the medals were the wrong colour; this was the ‘Bronze Final’ after all.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 19 July 2026
  • That turned out to be wrong for a meaningful minority of them, whose brains were generating signals our methods were not sensitive enough to pick up.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 18 July 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • But instead of playing kingmaker, the lame-duck governor has refused to get behind a candidate to succeed him.
    — Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
  • Stronger and more flavorful than in your original lame iteration?
    — Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • The Supreme Judicial Court later concluded that the Attorney General’s summary was legally deficient because of the language her office inserted — and removed the question from the ballot.
    — Robert Cordy, Boston Herald, 19 July 2026
  • The same logic would apply to a service member who is truly hormone deficient — replacement therapy could help.
    — Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of deficient
Adjective
  • The situation is particularly bad in France, which has already recorded more than 300 wildfires this year, compared to an annual average of 93, according to the EFFIS.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • Anderson’s injury record is slightly worse by virtue of a stress fracture in his back that kept him out for four months in the middle of the 2023-24 season, but over the two subsequent campaigns both have been near-constantly available.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • The game is far worse and inferior when a team is down to 10.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • There was a time when Irish, Italians, Jews and Chinese who came here were viewed as inferior.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2026
Definition of inferior
Adjective
  • In August 2025, Scott’s legal team, along with the LAIP, filed a habeas corpus petition alleging a wrongful conviction based on flawed forensic evidence.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 18 July 2026
  • Odysseus himself exemplifies both exemplary and flawed leadership.
    — Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of flawed

Browse Nearby Words

substances
substandard
substantial
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Cite this Entry

“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of substandard for Spanish Speakers

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