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
Moreover, the subpar health outcomes aren’t evenly distributed.
—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
At the time of its release, Smith took Morbius' subpar reception in stride.
—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 July 2026
Dark horses Germany Four-time World Cup winner Germany is listed as a dark horse primarily because of its subpar performances since winning the title in 2014, with the team failing to progress from the group stage in both 2018 and 2022.
—
Tushaar Kuthiala,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 June 2026
In the offseason, the Giants moved Lee from center to right after signing Harrison Bader to a two-year, $20 million deal in an effort to improve their subpar outfield defense.
—
Justice Delos Santos,
Mercury News,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
At the time of its release, Smith took Morbius' subpar reception in stride.
—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 July 2026
Dark horses Germany Four-time World Cup winner Germany is listed as a dark horse primarily because of its subpar performances since winning the title in 2014, with the team failing to progress from the group stage in both 2018 and 2022.
—
Tushaar Kuthiala,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
29 June 2026
In the offseason, the Giants moved Lee from center to right after signing Harrison Bader to a two-year, $20 million deal in an effort to improve their subpar outfield defense.
—
Justice Delos Santos,
Mercury News,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for subpar
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subpar. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
