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.
Examples of subpar in a Sentence
the service at the restaurant was subpar, to say the least
Recent Examples on the Web
This disconnect, where luxury price points could be charged for subpar service, is precisely what inspired Kelly to create Twentty.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Manning had a subpar showing, going 17-of-30 for 170 yards with one touchdown and an interception, as well as 10 carries for 38 yards in the loss.
—Matt Wadleigh, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
The team faced the pressure after a subpar first half and rose to the occasion.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
The rocket met each of its objectives, ending a streak of subpar performance that had plagued the developing launch vehicle since the beginning of 2025.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Maria Williams, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025
Manning had a subpar showing, going 17-of-30 for 170 yards with one touchdown and an interception, as well as 10 carries for 38 yards in the loss.
—Matt Wadleigh, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
The team faced the pressure after a subpar first half and rose to the occasion.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2025
The rocket met each of its objectives, ending a streak of subpar performance that had plagued the developing launch vehicle since the beginning of 2025.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subpar. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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