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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of second-rate
And if Russia is a second-rate energy power, Putin’s political and economic model, much less his imperialist fantasies, no longer makes sense.
—
Edward Fishman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2023
So don’t expect anything different this December, even if USC manages to blow out some mid-tier Mountain West team in a second-rate bowl matchup.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
While Holmes won’t be behind the wheel, Hettinger Racing isn’t settling for second-rate talent.
—Greg Engle, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
The Trojans still had few postseason options available to them beyond a second-rate bowl game.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Edward Fishman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2023
So don’t expect anything different this December, even if USC manages to blow out some mid-tier Mountain West team in a second-rate bowl matchup.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
While Holmes won’t be behind the wheel, Hettinger Racing isn’t settling for second-rate talent.
—Greg Engle, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
The Trojans still had few postseason options available to them beyond a second-rate bowl game.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate
Adjective
-
Both of these teams are off to decent starts, as Detroit leads the AL Central and the Yanks have, ahem, torpedoeed their way to a 6-5 record thus far.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
-
At least, thanks to a decent selection of ports, both machines will easily work with the usual Mac accessories, and both models are outfitted with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Science popularization should not be considered as inferior to or detracting from traditional scientific research.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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The only asterisk is that their recent wins have mostly come against inferior opponents – Washington’s record is only 3-4-1 against teams in a playoff spot since the 4 Nations Face-Off. 4.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In the early 1970s, the widespread availability of cheap, preformed fiberglass pools meant the rate of young children drowning soared.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
3 Apr. 2025
-
However, note that these are smaller models that could run on a less expensive GPUs or even a CPU with cheaper memory instead of the super expensive HBM memory currently used in all high-end accelerators.—
Karl Freund,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And most VCs seem to be average or mediocre at best.—
Dileep Rao,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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Milwaukee sits with a mediocre 5-5 record, while New Orleans sits with a 3-7 record.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.—
William B. Davis,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The incident, while ultimately only a minor one, did impact the rest of their vacation.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
There’s a real debate to be had about what responsibility better-off neighborhoods like Hyde Park have to help solve humanitarian problems that often are laid at the feet of poorer areas.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
-
The weather bulletin, which was issued at 12:29 a.m., warned of flash flooding in small creeks, streams, urban areas, highways, streets, underpasses, low-lying areas and places with poor drainage.—
Holly Yan,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The sound from the optional Bose 12-speaker upgrade is satisfactory.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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Yet a great deal remained to be paid with funds expected after the submission of satisfactory progress reports.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In 2022, the average (mean) net worth of American families topped $1 million for the first time, up 42% from $749,000 in 2019.—
Wes Moss,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
-
The full cast of Norse godhood is here, specifically Thor — who is portrayed like Valhalla’s meanest bar bouncer.—
Luke Winkie,
Vulture,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-rate. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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