inferior
adjective
in·fe·ri·or
in-ˈfir-ē-ər 
Examples of inferior in a Sentence
… the pearls were of inferior quality; they looked like pearlized globs of varying wrinkly shapes.
—
Tracie Rozhon, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2002
Sharks, rays, and ratfishes share a special burden: these cartilaginous fishes are saddled with a reputation for being somehow inferior to vertebrates blessed with bony skeletons.
—Carl Zimmer, Natural History, September 2000
No longer do workers and peasants feel inferior to the university-trained.
—Rhea Menzel Whitehead, Saturday Review, 4 Mar. 1972
These pearls are of inferior quality.
They were considered a socially inferior group.
He always felt inferior around his brother.
The judges voted to overturn a ruling made by an inferior court.
Tracie Rozhon, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2002
Sharks, rays, and ratfishes share a special burden: these cartilaginous fishes are saddled with a reputation for being somehow inferior to vertebrates blessed with bony skeletons.
—Carl Zimmer, Natural History, September 2000
No longer do workers and peasants feel inferior to the university-trained.
—Rhea Menzel Whitehead, Saturday Review, 4 Mar. 1972
These pearls are of inferior quality.
They were considered a socially inferior group.
He always felt inferior around his brother.
The judges voted to overturn a ruling made by an inferior court.
Recent Examples on the Web
The last two games are a microcosm of the Heat’s season so far, taking care of business against the inferior team but struggling to keep up with one of the NBA’s most talented teams.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
The Crimson Tide were so clearly the inferior team – in talent, coaching, drive, toughness – that the 35-point loss wasn’t surprising, necessarily speaking.
—Paul Myerberg, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Instead, Tech was the class of the Big 12, good enough to be vastly inferior to the third-place team in the Big Ten.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Jan. 2026
Expect a steady diet of clock-killing carries against an inferior Cards team while Stafford stays clean and Kyren quietly racks up points.
—Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferior
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Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 5 Jan. 2026
The Crimson Tide were so clearly the inferior team – in talent, coaching, drive, toughness – that the 35-point loss wasn’t surprising, necessarily speaking.
—Paul Myerberg, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
Instead, Tech was the class of the Big 12, good enough to be vastly inferior to the third-place team in the Big Ten.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Jan. 2026
Expect a steady diet of clock-killing carries against an inferior Cards team while Stafford stays clean and Kyren quietly racks up points.
—Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inferior. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
inferior
adjective
in·fe·ri·or
in-ˈfir-ē-ər
1
: situated below and closer to the feet than another and especially another similar part of an upright body especially of a human being compare superior sense 1
2
: situated in a more posterior or ventral position in the body of a quadruped compare superior sense 2
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