1
as in decent
of average to below average quality
a second-rate song from a songwriter who has done much better
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inferior
of little or less value or merit
a second-rate company that was never considered among the top manufacturers of televisions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cheap
of low quality
second-rate goods specifically manufactured for the low end of the market
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of second-rate
Moreno said Bad Bunny is a second-rate performer and said his performing at the Super Bowl is a partisan choice.
—
Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Oct. 2025
The freshman quarterback has faced second-rate competition thus far and has daunting matchups next month.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2025
Occasionally held back by a very mid-'00s aesthetic and stylistic choices that come across second-rate David Lynch, No Smoking is nonetheless an effectively paranoid adaptation of King for another culture.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The Hundred feels like a second-rate cartoon animation in comparison.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Oct. 2025
The freshman quarterback has faced second-rate competition thus far and has daunting matchups next month.
—Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2025
Occasionally held back by a very mid-'00s aesthetic and stylistic choices that come across second-rate David Lynch, No Smoking is nonetheless an effectively paranoid adaptation of King for another culture.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
The Hundred feels like a second-rate cartoon animation in comparison.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate
Adjective
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But there were a few decent ones.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Apr. 2026
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That’s because this winter brought decent rain and the three years prior were wet, too.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Beaten 4-1 at Bolton Wanderers, Leeds were effectively relegated to the second tier with two games remaining because of their vastly inferior goal difference.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
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During the Middle Ages, for example, many contemporary accounts from both Christian and Muslim societies depicted their opposing side as barbaric, blasphemous, and inferior.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Idaho residents have far cheaper license and hunting tag prices than nonresidents, as well as far more hunting tag opportunities than nonresidents.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
4 Apr. 2026
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The carrier is launching new, cheaper tiers for its top-end Polaris and premium economy cabins that come with many of the same perks — but plenty of restrictions too.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Many longtime observers believe forcing the lowest seeds to cannibalize themselves in the opening round would strip the main event of its charm and that the mediocre teams from the heavyweight leagues should fill the 12 opening round matchups.—
Jon Wilner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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After all, television is a business where thousands of people work, and a mediocre show can employ just as many people (minus a few writers) as an Emmy-winner.—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile, at home, small appliances might break down or a minor breakage could occur.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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The restaurant became a minor sensation—the titular dish is terrific, silken and subtle and rich, but what most stood out was a rotating lineup of specials, mostly hawker-style Malaysian fare, particularly the food of Klang, his parents’ home town, on Malaysia’s western coast.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Serious Medical and Emotional Neglect Turner said Kaiko arrived in poor health, suffering from multiple medical issues and signs of prolonged neglect.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The city of Plano scores restaurants on a 100-point system, with 100 considered a perfect score and 70 extremely poor.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Privately, some writers walking the staff picket line still had faith in WGAW management to negotiate a satisfactory deal with the AMPTP amid the drama.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
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Safety, satisfactory customer service, and ensuring riders feel secure are best achieved by maintaining — and even increasing — staffing in transit systems.—
John Samuelsen,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Some of this positioning has come from their fellow players; finales for the first 40 seasons were packed with bitter jurors who often saved their meanest digs for the women finalists.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
1 Apr. 2026
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Zhipu said in its earnings report released Tuesday that its revenue rose about 132% to 724 million yuan in 2025 from the previous year, though that figure missed the mean analyst estimate of 760 million yuan, polled by Reuters.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-rate. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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