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
  • The episode has added to a growing chorus of concern among AI safety advocates, who argue that agents capable of independently identifying and exploiting unknown vulnerabilities across multiple companies’ infrastructure present an unacceptable risk.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • Conditional approval remains a possibility for firms demonstrating no unacceptable risks.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Covid-19 wasn’t immediately recognized as a disease with airborne transmission with the potential to spread beyond the 6-foot social distancing measure, especially in places with poor ventilation or around activities with heavy breathing.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Crepe myrtles may not bloom due to poor pruning, low light, watering issues, weak soil, or pests.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Seneca, the Roman philosopher, argued that people kept getting the message of Homer’s epic poems wrong.
    — John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • One person was killed and two others were critically injured when a wrong-way driver crashed into several other vehicles on Friday evening on the Dan Ryan Expressway on the South Side of Chicago.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 1 Aug. 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
  • Alphabet, on the other hand, almost seemed to not care about the change from being cash-flow dominant to cash-flow deficient.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The bottom line for now is that oysters carry compounds with real biological plausibility for supporting testosterone production, particularly in people who are zinc-deficient.
    — Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of deficient
Adjective
  • The period of military rule has fared worse than previous civilian governments, analysts say, with armed groups increasing their footprint across the country and the Sahel.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
  • At one point, King and backup center Nick Samac had a bad exchange on a shotgun snap.
    — Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • Distillers pushed for federal oversight to distinguish authentic whiskey from inferior products.
    — Emily Price, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • Brain MRIs also found an increase in the surface area of the inferior frontal gyrus in the MIND diet group.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026
Definition of inferior
Adjective
  • Waller correctly identifies the futility of adding more experts to central planning, which is inherently flawed, but mistakenly believes the Fed could be better without these panels.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Best known for playing the flawed but fiercely loyal Fiona Gallagher on the Showtime dramedy Shameless, Rossum has always gravitated towards imperfect heroines.
    — Brianne Tracy, PEOPLE, 1 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 6 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of substandard for Spanish Speakers

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