substandard

adjective

sub·​stan·​dard ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd 

: deviating from or falling short of a standard or norm: such as

a

: of a quality lower than that prescribed by law

substandard housing

b

: conforming to a pattern of linguistic usage existing within a speech community but not that of the prestige group in that community

c

: constituting a greater than normal risk to an insurer

Synonyms

• bad
• bastard
• bush
• bush-league
• crummy
• crumby
• deficient
• dissatisfactory
• ill
• inferior
• lame
• lousy
• off
• paltry
• poor
• punk
• sour
• suboptimal
• subpar
• unacceptable
• unsatisfactory
• wack [slang]
• wanting
• wretched
• wrong

Examples of substandard in a Sentence

a teacher who rejects substandard work without hesitation

Recent Examples on the Web

On multiple occasions over the last few days, in important ties (also referring to the League Cup final in England between Chelsea and Manchester City last Saturday at Pride Park, home of second-tier men’s team Derby County), our members have been asked to play in substandard conditions. —Guillermo Rai, The Athletic, 22 Mar. 2025

Congo threw its best elite army units into Goma, alongside substandard regular units. —Emmet Livingstone, The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025

Pregnant women fear over their care Meanwhile, American women and their spouses say they have been left in substandard medical care in posts in unstable countries, fearing for their lives. —Ellen Knickmeyer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2025

The administration temporarily halted migrant transfers to the base after media reports alleged substandard conditions and the ACLU and other organizations sued, alleging detainees had no access to attorneys, family or due process. —Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for substandard

• meandered
• nonstandard
• slandered
• standard

Kids Definition

substandard

adjective

sub·​stan·​dard ˌsəb-ˈstan-dərd 

ˈsəb-

1

: varying from or falling short of a standard or norm

substandard housing

2

: following a pattern of linguistic usage that is not considered standard

substandard English

Legal Definition

substandard

adjective

sub·​stan·​dard

: deviating from or falling short of a standard or norm: as

a

: of a quality lower than that prescribed by law

b

: constituting a greater than normal risk to an insurer