1
as in decent
of average to below average quality
a second-rate song from a songwriter who has done much better
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inferior
of little or less value or merit
a second-rate company that was never considered among the top manufacturers of televisions
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cheap
of low quality
second-rate goods specifically manufactured for the low end of the market
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of second-rate
The occasion: a second-rate literary award ceremony.
—
Dwight Garner, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
It must be acknowledged and accepted that educators are the experts in their profession and not second-rate.
—Patricia A. Daniel, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2025
But today, restaurants in Sicily, Malta, Greece, Spain and Croatia mostly serve second-rate tuna, the yellowfin variety that comes from the Pacific or southern Atlantic.
—Julia Amberger, Nanni Fontana, Marzio Mian, & Nicola Scevola (tr. Elettra Pauletto), The Dial, 3 Apr. 2025
Farke has found a way to maximise Firpo’s talents, even with the caveat this is a former Barcelona full-back playing against second-rate opposition.
—Beren Cross, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Dwight Garner, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
It must be acknowledged and accepted that educators are the experts in their profession and not second-rate.
—Patricia A. Daniel, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2025
But today, restaurants in Sicily, Malta, Greece, Spain and Croatia mostly serve second-rate tuna, the yellowfin variety that comes from the Pacific or southern Atlantic.
—Julia Amberger, Nanni Fontana, Marzio Mian, & Nicola Scevola (tr. Elettra Pauletto), The Dial, 3 Apr. 2025
Farke has found a way to maximise Firpo’s talents, even with the caveat this is a former Barcelona full-back playing against second-rate opposition.
—Beren Cross, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate
Adjective
-
But the Tar Heel state has a decent amount of talent this year, and UNC does not appear to be in position to take advantage of it.—
Grace Raynor,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
Reading these reports alongs with your own research can give you a decent idea of which cruise ships are doing the most to reduce their impact.—
Lea Lane,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
The Dream had more second-chance points and won the turnover margin, compensating for their inferior 3-point shooting.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
Since its establishment by the 1947 National Security Act, the agency’s intelligence collection, analysis and foresight have proven inferior to that of The New York Times at a tiny fraction of the cost.—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Three or four people to one cabin was far cheaper than the same number of people booking three or four plane tickets to get to Spain.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
-
These technologies could be safer, cheaper, and offer higher energy storage.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Or perhaps two intense training sessions weekly with perfect recovery outperforms five mediocre workouts.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2025
-
So, except for 2019, every full season since 2017 has included one mediocre month.—
Peter O’Malley,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Ambulances took 27 people to the hospital, including two with serious injuries, and another 20 people were treated at the scene for minor injuries, said Dave Kitchin of North West Ambulance Service.—
Brian Melley,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
-
In total, 27 people were taken to the hospital, including two with serious injuries, and 20 others were treated at the scene for minor injuries, according to Dave Kitchin of North West Ambulance Service.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
The original doesn’t go that deeply into it, but this poor girl was essentially forced to be a teen mom at this time in her life when all of her friends would be graduating high school and dating and thinking about their futures.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
-
The product was released in 2023 to a poor reception, and discontinued before the company began winding down operations in February.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
The tablet also supports Dolby Atmos sound, and while the stereo separation is satisfactory, don't expect to be surrounded by the audio.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
21 May 2025
-
However, the conditions are not satisfactory to all.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Everything inland of the mean high tide line can be considered private, but as beaches erode and sea levels rise, that line becomes a moving target, Willis said.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
16 May 2025
-
This was below the mean analyst estimate of 1.5 trillion yen.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-rate. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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