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 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 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 For those who don't know his story, Darnold has gone through so much during his last eight seasons, including being pushed around the league like a second-rate quarterback and being called a bust by many in the profession. — Noe Padilla, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026 Maybe then the United States will care about slipping to second-rate. — Noah Shachtman, Wired News, 13 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for second-rate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-rate

Adjective

Jeremy Jacquet looks like a decent replacement for Ibrahima Konate and getting Ronald Araujo on loan provides extra cover given the defensive injuries.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Cease has been decent against Guardians hitters, holding them to 26 hits in 105 at-bats, but only nine of them have been for extra bases.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of decent

Adjective

Gwyn’s, however, who Richard considers to be his inferior, has jettisoned into success and is in the running for a huge literary prize.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Curiously, cobalt was linked with a small rise in amyloid-beta proteins in the inferior temporal cortex.

— Mike McRae August 31, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of inferior

Adjective

This is similar to what cruise lines do when moving ships between itineraries, often offering trips at a cheaper cost than traditional voyages.

— Elliott Harrell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2026
Because they must be built out, rather than up, hyperscalers typically go to suburban or rural areas with relatively cheap land.

— Greta Reich, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

The Jays will need many moments in the next month to turn this mediocre season into one worth remembering.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The mediocre screen was an unpleasant surprise given that this thing advertised 100 percent sRGB gamut coverage when it was announced and on its product page for many weeks (the Internet Archive captures it here).

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of mediocre

Adjective

Steppach, 49, was the owner of Tim’s Tavern on Edison Avenue, where people protested daily in December after Steppach pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.

— Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 3 Sep. 2026
The anger fueled the rise of Sanseito, a minor right-wing party that rallied against immigrants in recent elections, putting pressure on the ruling Liberal Democratic Party government.

— Christine Miyawaki, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of minor

Adjective

Dozens of companies have withdrawn over the past decades due to poor profits, an uncertain business outlook and concerns about harm to their reputations from making arms, especially lethal weapons.

— Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Along the way, the audience can expect tons of humiliation, terrible second prizes, and the guarantee that Robertson will turn at least one poor soul's wrong turn into several minutes of unhinged public destruction.

— Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

The ride quality in my tester was more than satisfactory; a good thing given the infamous Atlanta traffic.

— Jerry Perez, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026
Esther’s sudden fortune and failure — which arrives via mail in two envelopes on the same day — is unrealistic, and her story isn’t resolved in a satisfactory way at the end.

— Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of satisfactory

Adjective

England, Wales and Northern Ireland all set records for mean summer temperatures, though Scotland, which was cooler and less dry, tied its sixth warmest summer.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Line Islands corals show a similar mean increase but far wider scatter, which the researchers partly attribute to these records’ reliance on oxygen isotopes alone.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026