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

Relevance

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
  • Critics say such plans are wholly unacceptable because light pollution from so many large, bright satellites would radically degrade views of the night sky.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 July 2026
  • For the union, this is unacceptable and yet another issue their members are facing.
    — Carmela Karcher, CBS News, 14 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
  • Shouldn’t Tamra take that as a sign to repair her relationships with the women rather than alienate the one person who is willing to look past her bad behavior?
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • That statistic shows that hotels did worse with the World Cup than without it initially.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • 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
  • Ma married Pa, her social inferior, against her mother’s wishes.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 9 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Substandard.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/substandard. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on substandard

Nglish: Translation of substandard for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All