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 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 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
  • Carney has called that demand unacceptable and a question of Canadian sovereignty.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Custard said, for the public, all this adds up to unacceptable risk.
    — Yuki Noguchi, NPR, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • The petition argues Mays’ language during the trial revealed something deeper than a poor defense strategy — a worldview that dehumanized the man he was supposed to defend.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • There remains work to be done, as evidenced by their poor showing in last Thursday’s 41-17 preseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
    — Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • There’s nothing wrong with holding on to childhood and being a little immature from time to time.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Cleveland Police said a Volkswagen Passat carrying five members of the public was traveling the wrong way down the A66 highway near Middlesbrough and collided with a police vehicle on the same road going in the right direction.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • But between now, November and the lame-duck period, there’s still time to pass legislation before election results shake things up.
    — Washington Post Opinions, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Payton seemed awfully pleased with himself for his lame dad joke.
    — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • The Dolphins might be talent-deficient for two years, especially at wide receiver and possibly tight end.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Many people are deficient in vitamin D due to limited sunlight exposure and few natural food sources.
    — Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of deficient
Adjective
  • Poor Anton has been left out of the drama all day, an effort by Billie and Samir to prevent an already bad futzing from escalating to something severe, and that’s never where Anton likes to be.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Although rarely seen, its reemergence earlier this summer is a signal of how bad the region’s ongoing drought has gotten, as well as a warning for the difficult months ahead.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • Across state and federal lands, accommodations designated for Black Americans were routinely and nakedly inferior, relegated to remote, underdeveloped parcels or mosquito-prone swamplands.
    — Kimmie Gordon, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
  • But those three road losses were either in the postseason to a top-two team, at Oregon or the inexplicable 2024 loss to a far inferior Michigan team in The Game.
    — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of inferior
Adjective
  • But many professional-class socialists are no doubt making an earnest moral judgment, born of firsthand experience, that contemporary capitalism is deeply flawed.
    — Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Such biometric age checks have proved controversial, unpopular with users, and alarming to privacy advocates, who see even the latest age verification tools as flawed.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 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 30 Aug. 2026.

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