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
The Trojans still had few postseason options available to them beyond a second-rate bowl game.
—
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
Virtual meetings aren’t just second-rate versions of the in-person kind.
—William Arruda, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
According to projections by the International Energy Agency, Russia will forgo more than $1 trillion in oil and gas revenues by 2030, relegating the country to a second-rate energy power.
—Edward Fishman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2023
For some philosophers, hope is a second-rate way of relating to reality.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
Virtual meetings aren’t just second-rate versions of the in-person kind.
—William Arruda, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
According to projections by the International Energy Agency, Russia will forgo more than $1 trillion in oil and gas revenues by 2030, relegating the country to a second-rate energy power.
—Edward Fishman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2023
For some philosophers, hope is a second-rate way of relating to reality.
—Big Think, 24 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for second-rate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate
Adjective
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Blessedly, Tucci and Esposito infuse their cheesier character moments with a decent dose of sincerity to blunt the edges.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
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Baker, who resides in Los Angeles, can’t get a decent catfish to save her life.—
Abigail Covington,
Rolling Stone,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Townsend’s warbler is named after John Kirk Townsend, who thought Native Americans were racially inferior and stole skulls from graves in a misguided and vile attempt to prove it.—
Joan Morris,
The Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2025
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Frontier revived its takeover efforts earlier this year, but Spirit had said the first offer was inferior to the one the two companies had discussed last year and sought an assurance that the deal would close and Frontier would not walk away.—
Reuters,
CNN,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Read: The cost of avoiding microplastics In the mid-1990s, China emerged as the principal destination for used cups, straws, and the like; the country’s growing manufacturing sector was eager to make use of cheap, recycled raw plastic.—
Scott W. Stern,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
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My problem is, one family member opens cards that have been left there for my daughter, and puts all sorts of cheap decorations around her grave.—
Jeanne Phillips,
The Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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So was the win a reminder that occasional flashes of excellence aside, the Islanders are in the midst of a fourth straight mediocre season and in need of a reboot/reload that could be sparked by the trades of impending free agents such as Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri?—
Jerry Beach,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
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The 29-year-old had a mediocre year with Washington in 2023, and he’s bounced between minor league deals since.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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According to a statement from the Danville Police Department, the drivers of both vehicles suffered minor injuries, while two other passengers in the truck were unhurt.—
Rick Hurd,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
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The cab driver suffered minor back and neck injuries in the crash and claimed Zangrilli was drunk but the responding officer sent the inspector on his way, telling the cabbie to file an accident report at an NYPD precinct.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And another research team, using data from 2015 to 2022, observed in an article available in Energy Research and Social Science that poor income distribution correlates with social unrest when fossil fuel subsidies are removed.—
Aldo Flores-Quiroga,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
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Studies have also shown that exercising during times of poor air quality—for instance, when there is a high level of these fine particulates in the air—is detrimental to our health.—
Claire Maldarelli,
Scientific American,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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While the overall atmosphere and design of the restaurant are aesthetically pleasing, the menu is just as satisfactory.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
25 Feb. 2025
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Employees in Idaho and across the U.S. say their termination letters blamed their performance despite histories of satisfactory reviews.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The trestle will require the installation of some 1,200 36-inch steel piles covering an area of 400,000 square feet with the top of the pile being 10 feet above the Patapsco’s mean high-water line, according to the Army Corps.—
Michelle Deal-Zimmerman,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Mar. 2025
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The new analysis found that the mean fetal mortality rate for 16 Southern states in 2023 was 6.05 fetal deaths at 20 weeks’ gestation or more per 1,000 live births and fetal deaths, compared with a mean fetal mortality rate of 5.25 for all other states.—
Elizabeth Cohen,
NBC News,
6 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-rate. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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