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 Structures are frequently built with substandard materials and safety regulations are sometimes ignored to reduce costs. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 With fewer inspections required for skydiving planes than most commercial aviation, Robb argues the temptation is great for operators to use substandard equipment or make shoddy repairs. — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 15 June 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 Despite to this day being a thriving port city and with so many people so close to the sea, Naples has plenty of substandard fish restaurants. — Jamie Timson, TheWeek, 27 May 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
  • There is a difference, however, between the default belief that certain predictions are wrong and the default belief that certain predictions are embarrassing.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026
  • There’s a right way and a wrong way to use digital assets such as bitcoin for diversification, financial advisors and market analysts said.
    — Greg Iacurci,Annie Nova, CNBC, 25 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
  • While long-term goals include influencing insurance and investment, their immediate value is assisting understaffed teams manage critical backlogs, such as the 42,404 structurally deficient bridges.
    — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • The American Urological Association says that a total testosterone level below 300 ng/dL, when combined with symptoms of low testosterone, should be considered deficient.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 20 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
  • Thomas Tuchel – for all his talk of remodelling England – didn’t ultimately deviate from the old flawed system.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 24 July 2026
  • For Yard Act’s 2022 debut, The Overload, the quartet chiseled flamboyant caricatures of British life and portrayed their flawed country with an abrasive, punishing tone.
    — Victoria Borlando, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026
Definition of flawed

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substandard
substantial
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Cite this Entry

“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of substandard for Spanish Speakers

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