SECOND-RATE Synonyms: 182 Similar and Opposite Words

second-rate

adjective

ˌse-kən(d)-ˈrāt

Definition of second-rate

as in decent

of average to below average quality a second-rate song from a songwriter who has done much better

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in cheap

of low quality second-rate goods specifically manufactured for the low end of the market

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of second-rate For many, their style of play seemed to encapsulate all that was second-rate about Manchester United after the glory years of Sir Alex Ferguson. — Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 16 June 2026 The animation features a lot of rotoscoping, and the result is an aesthetic that’s both oddly fluid and charmingly cheap, like some second-rate Ralph Bakshi effort. — Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026 For three months, Turner’s college football programming has been limited to second-rate Big 12 games, with Fox and ESPN retaining rights to the conference’s most appealing matchups. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 19 Dec. 2025 LaFleur could never find the winning formula during Green Bay’s second-rate, 8-9 season in 2022, then Gutekunst traded Rodgers to the New York Jets 3 ½ months later. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 15 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for second-rate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate

Adjective

Find a quiet gate, buy a decent coffee, use your noise-canceling headphones.

— Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Rear-seat passengers get decent legroom and the cargo area is practical enough for road trips, shopping runs or airport duty.

— Josh Max, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Definition of decent

Adjective

More broadly, the idea that White players are inherently inferior no longer matches reality.

— Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
This is because Austria would have remained on three points but with an inferior goal difference to Iran in the third-place standings (minus one to zero).

— Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 28 June 2026

Definition of inferior

Adjective

Microchips are relatively cheap and are required for every pet in Los Angeles County over 4 months old.

— Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Prove Your Claims With Evidence In a market flooded with AI capabilities, claims are cheap, and every launch sounds the same.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

Sweden, especially, seemed content to play conservatively, which forced France to take mediocre shots in the early going.

— Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
The author's experience, where mediocre tires led to a collision, highlights that tires are the vehicle's only road contact, directly impacting safety and performance.

— Michael Harley, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of mediocre

Adjective

Kelley said the company believed the existing easement was satisfactory and wasn’t told otherwise until after investing years of work on he project.

— Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026
For writing, editing, spreadsheets, email, and web browsing, performance proved entirely satisfactory.

— Sascha Brodsky, PC Magazine, 21 June 2026

Definition of satisfactory

Adjective

The quartet eventually broke America with later albums, but Arctic Monkeys songs were faster, funnier, and meaner in 2006.

— Al Shipley, SPIN, 29 June 2026
Chen noted that the FDA approval was based on a single clinical trial with a mean participant age of 47, and nearly 74% of participants were women.

— Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 29 June 2026