second-rate
adjective
sec·ond-rate
ˌse-kən(d)-ˈrāt 
: of second or inferior quality or value : mediocre
a second-rate restaurant
second-rateness
noun
Examples of second-rate in a Sentence
a second-rate song from a songwriter who has done much better
a second-rate company that was never considered among the top manufacturers of televisions
second-rate goods specifically manufactured for the low end of the market
Recent Examples on the Web
For many, their style of play seemed to encapsulate all that was second-rate about Manchester United after the glory years of Sir Alex Ferguson.
—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
16 June 2026
The current system buys shareholder returns for the primes and second-rate capability for those in uniform.
—
Baltimore Sun Staff,
Baltimore Sun,
20 May 2026
The animation features a lot of rotoscoping, and the result is an aesthetic that’s both oddly fluid and charmingly cheap, like some second-rate Ralph Bakshi effort.
—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
LaFleur could never find the winning formula during Green Bay’s second-rate, 8-9 season in 2022, then Gutekunst traded Rodgers to the New York Jets 3 ½ months later.
—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
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Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
16 June 2026
The current system buys shareholder returns for the primes and second-rate capability for those in uniform.
—
Baltimore Sun Staff,
Baltimore Sun,
20 May 2026
The animation features a lot of rotoscoping, and the result is an aesthetic that’s both oddly fluid and charmingly cheap, like some second-rate Ralph Bakshi effort.
—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
LaFleur could never find the winning formula during Green Bay’s second-rate, 8-9 season in 2022, then Gutekunst traded Rodgers to the New York Jets 3 ½ months later.
—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second-rate. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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