variants
or less commonly sub-par
chiefly US
: below par: such as
a
: below a usual or normal level or standard
subpar attendance
a subpar performance
Why would a major football school fire a successful coach following a single subpar season?—
Jerry Kirshenbaum
Jerry KirshenbaumBecause of phylloxera, vineyards have been inconsistent and yielding subpar grapes.—James Laube
James Laube
b
golf
: having a score lower than par
His 19 birdies and two eagles gave him more subpar holes than anyone …—David Barrett
David Barrett… Augusta National never played easier. … Saturday's 30 subpar rounds broke a third-round tournament record …—John Garrity
John Garrity
Did you know?
Since sub- means "below", almost anything that fails to measure up to a traditional standard may be called subpar. So you may hear of subpar ratings for a TV show, subpar care at a nursing home, subpar attendance at a concert, or subpar work by a contractor. If you played a subpar round of golf, though, you needed more strokes than you should have.
Synonyms
Examples of subpar in a Sentence
the service at the restaurant was subpar, to say the least
Recent Examples on the Web
But personal income growth in Connecticut has been subpar since the cap began 33 years ago.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 18 Dec. 2024
Some of his shakiness may have been a byproduct of a subpar performance in pass protection.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024
Other options are generally overpriced, as is food, which is usually subpar compared to the many other excellent offerings outside the sports book.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
But if the experience is subpar—if users encounter slowdowns, technical glitches or privacy issues—the public could quickly write off the technology entirely.
—Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for subpar 
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Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 18 Dec. 2024
Some of his shakiness may have been a byproduct of a subpar performance in pass protection.
—The Athletic Nfl Staff, The Athletic, 17 Dec. 2024
Other options are generally overpriced, as is food, which is usually subpar compared to the many other excellent offerings outside the sports book.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
But if the experience is subpar—if users encounter slowdowns, technical glitches or privacy issues—the public could quickly write off the technology entirely.
—Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for subpar
Dictionary Entries Near subpar
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subpar. Accessed 28 Dec. 2024.
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