as in subordinate
one who is of lower rank and typically under the authority of another
she is nice to her inferiors as well as to her superiors
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lower
situated lower down
creatures that inhabit the dark, inferior depths of the ocean
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in minor
of little or less value or merit
a girl who has always felt inferior to her older sister
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3
as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank
at one time, the upper crust liked to believe that inferior people were fit only to be servants
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4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
an inferior science textbook that was out-of-date the day that it was published
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5
as in lesser
having not so great importance or rank as another
an inferior officer cannot strike a superior under any circumstances
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6
as in poor
of low quality
inferior chocolate candy that no serious chocolate lover would think of eating
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of inferior
Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 21 May 2025
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
Like the Houthis', Taiwan's military capabilities are inferior to and smaller in number than those of its enemy.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Adjective
That Ferrari was, by quite some way, an inferior car compared to 2025’s RB21.
—Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 21 May 2025
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
Like the Houthis', Taiwan's military capabilities are inferior to and smaller in number than those of its enemy.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferior
Noun
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Another supervisor acknowledged yelling at a subordinate who hadn't listened to instructions.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
6 June 2025
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Read More Jail official forces subordinates to perform free labor at his MA home, feds say In Massachusetts, Thomas Brady, a former jail official, is accused of forcing employees to perform free labor at his home, according to federal prosecutors.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.—
Dana Taylor,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2024
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Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices.—
Frank Witsil,
Detroit Free Press,
19 June 2023
Adjective
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One allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail, and three deputies were struck, causing minor injuries, the department said.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2025
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Detainees have been pepper-sprayed and wrestled to the ground for refusing to return to their cells, causing minor injuries on both sides, the officer said.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
Steer clear of puddles - Driving into puddles or low areas of rainwater can cause vehicles to hydroplane or skid out of control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
12 June 2025
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Right now, about 18% of all iPhones are made in India — a number that was in the low single digits just a few years ago.—
Spriha Srivastava,
CNBC,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
And sometimes the soldiers can do things which are totally unacceptable and can be called crimes.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
6 June 2025
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Shamkhani underscored that the absence of sanctions relief rendered the U.S. plan unacceptable.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Toronto’s Fred VanVleet appears to be the top target, but Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have been linked to the team at various points.—
Staff Writer
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2023
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The story of 2022 (and 2021 to a lesser extent) was energy.—
Nicole Goodkind,
CNN,
31 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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This lack of preparation yields poor communication that worsens difficult situations and burns bridges between companies and fired employees.—
Nicole Tidei,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
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Massive clouds of pollutants could collide in North Carolina this week and result in poor air quality conditions for millions.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Out on the mean streets of O.C., the coming changes have sparked some trepidation.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
11 June 2025
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Changing vaccination guidelines, ever-evolving variants and strains, threats to health insurance and more mean COVID is still very much a regular conversation on the lips of lawmakers, regulators and the general public.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferior. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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