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 The Dolphins, resting their talent-needy starting defense, fought with backups that will provide substandard depth this season. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Young detainees have described inedible food, substandard medical care and callous treatment at the hands of guards and staff at immigration facilities. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026 Trump paid them substandard wages, and their working conditions were appalling. — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Cyclospora is most common in tropical climates and areas with substandard sanitation. — Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 11 July 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
  • The group Save Our Beaches San Clemente, however, says adding more rocks on the coast to protect the railroad is unacceptable.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Russia's demands for Ukraine to surrender its territory, among other things, are unacceptable for Kyiv.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Because of the drought, woodland deer food is not abundant in most of the state this year, and what exists is in poor condition with low nutritional value.
    — Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The Maracana's turf has been a concern for almost two weeks due to its poor shape amid a long season in Brazilian soccer.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • September 23 – October 22 Money and social plans could rub each other the wrong way today.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Signing the wrong license, particularly for the first one, can be an expensive mistake.
    — David Born, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • Supporters hope for a vote during the post-election lame-duck session, potentially as part of a year-end package.
    — Shira Lazar, Washington Post, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Even as Swift shines in the light of holy matrimony, there are still plenty of lame dudes out there for Taylor to crush across three-minute pop masterstrokes — and, God-willing, there always will be.
    — Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • High base, cuts to public capex for meeting fiscal deficit targets and the impact of deficient rains on sowing patterns are some of the key reasons the brokerage expects India’s growth to slow over the next few quarters.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
  • There is nonexistent depth, disastrous allocation of resources and a roster so deficient that the general manager who constructed it has already been dismissed.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of deficient
Adjective
  • Why is Indonesia experiencing its worst ever wildfire season?
    — TheWeek, TheWeek, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Interior designers and professional organizers say most kitchens hide usable square footage in plain sight, trapped behind clutter, bad habits and bulky gear that could be stored smarter or edited out entirely.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • The Chiefs went on to emerge victorious 24-10, but like the offense, the defense’s focus now will be identifying how an inferior team that lost its star player early managed to stay involved until late in the fourth quarter.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The same can be said for TCU’s offense as well after the past two games against inferior opponents.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of inferior
Adjective
  • The legal arguments for such claims, however, are extremely flawed and would likely not hold up in the court, said David Loy, the legal director for the nonpartisan First Amendment Coalition.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Dandekar accuses the World Bank of producing a flawed risk assessment report for the project from the get-go.
    — Mamita Bhandari, NPR, 23 Sep. 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 3 Oct. 2026.

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