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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lower
situated lower down
creatures that inhabit the dark, inferior depths of the ocean
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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an inferior science textbook that was out-of-date the day that it was published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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inferior
Korok Ray, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Unlike Russia’s weapons, China’s nuclear forces are still far inferior to those of the United States.
—Rose Gottemoeller, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2025
Science popularization should not be considered as inferior to or detracting from traditional scientific research.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
For more than half of Thursday’s Sweet 16 game against Arkansas, Texas Tech looked like the inferior team.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Adjective
So, swapping an inferior asset like gold for a better asset like bitcoin is a good policy.
—Korok Ray, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Unlike Russia’s weapons, China’s nuclear forces are still far inferior to those of the United States.
—Rose Gottemoeller, Foreign Affairs, 15 Apr. 2025
Science popularization should not be considered as inferior to or detracting from traditional scientific research.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
For more than half of Thursday’s Sweet 16 game against Arkansas, Texas Tech looked like the inferior team.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferior
Noun
-
Waltz also indulged in several of the histrionic television appearances that Trump demands of his subordinates.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2025
-
But even those modest gains quickly evaporated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as Trump blamed China for the outbreak and allowed his subordinates wide latitude to pursue aggressive policies toward Beijing.—
Jude Blanchette,
Foreign Affairs,
27 Mar. 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
-
Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices.—
Frank Witsil,
Detroit Free Press,
19 June 2023
Adjective
-
As mentioned above, taking creatine in higher doses, such as 20 grams per day, may trigger minor side effects like water retention.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
21 Apr. 2025
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Commonly known as Tylenol, it's thought to reduce fever and relieve minor aches and pains by raising your body's pain threshold and regulating your body temperature.—
Andee Tagle,
NPR,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
There is no sign outside Hurdle’s San Diego salon, but despite the low profile, her Instagram page warns that she’s usually booked months in advance.—
Lindsy Van Gelder,
Allure,
25 Apr. 2025
-
With consumer confidence at its lowest level in three years and inflation expected to climb as a consequence of the trade war, even meek Republicans have raised complaints about the impact of some of Trump’s moves on their political future.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Shapiro told reporters at a news conference on April 16 that regardless of the motivation for the crime, political violence must be condemned as unacceptable in our society.—
Riley Beggin,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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Tom Schwartz later says that the behavior is completely unacceptable, as does Jason.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Road conditions are rapidly deteriorating, with the percentage of roads in poor condition expected to double in two years.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Apr. 2025
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But academic research has consistently demonstrated that stadiums are poor drivers of economic growth and an analysis published last month found stadium projects spur little growth in local construction industries.—
Jonathan Shorman,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, Jordan’s CGI Winklevoss stunt is distinguishable only by having one mean brother in a blue cap and a meaner brother in a red fedora.—
Armond White,
National Review,
18 Apr. 2025
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While the game is mean to be played in couch co-op with up to four people, one solo gamer can take control of 2-4 of the heroes and tackle missions just as easily.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferior. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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