subpar

adjective

ˈsəb-ˌpär How to pronounce subpar (audio)
Definition of subparnext
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard the service at the restaurant was subpar, to say the least

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 subpar Fans don’t often flock to see something so aesthetically subpar. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026 Despite the subpar season, who was the first Dodger to leap out of the dugout to celebrate a teammate’s success? — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026 His performance and leadership could foreshadow a dramatic improvement in Mizzou’s subpar passing game last season. — Pj Green september 4, Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2026 The aircraft carrier has also been at the center of reports of morale issues and subpar conditions faced by sailors. — Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for subpar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subpar
  1. unacceptable
  2. poor
  3. wrong
  4. lame
  5. bad
  6. deficient
  7. terrible
  8. horrible
Adjective
  • The idea of not spending evenings with my kid is, kids are, is completely unacceptable.
    — Michael Birnbaum The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
  • OpenAI took months to discover the incident and notify the Australian agencies affected — that’s unacceptable by my standard.
    — Rumman Chowdhury, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • Measles usually kills two or three people in every 1,000 cases, the WHO says, but the disease can be more deadly in poorer nations because of factors such as malnutrition.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • That receiver sends that poor defender into next week at the pylon.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Its argument is that insurers have been pricing wildfire risk the wrong way, by looking backward at statistics and sorting homes by zip code.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The trailer begins as Ziegler’s Mae frantically asks family friend Benny, played by a sleepy Rob Lowe, for help after her big mistake — kissing the wrong brother between Graham Phillips’ Andrew and Elias Kacavas’ Theo.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • Blumenthal hopes to see action on KOSA in the lame-duck session.
    — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Only to see them, after winning elections, get strong-armed by the party, then offer lame excuses as to why.
    — Colleen Kujawa, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • Bajaria may also have hit thin ice with Sarandos after the streamer won just 16 Primetime Emmy Awards this year — its worst showing since 2016 and down from 30 in 2025.
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The size of the boat, the distance from the tow boat's berth and how bad the boat is stuck will all factor into the final invoice.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • The travel investigation doesn't establish that the firm's engineering designs were deficient and nothing in the records independently establishes that the performance adjustment was improper.
    — Tyler Horst, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • There’s lots of neutral hues available but the sunny yellow will brighten up any window-deficient bathroom.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of deficient
Adjective
  • And then none of it mattered because his special teams bailed him out with a big kick return (thanks to a terrible decision by Eagles coach Nick Sirianni to even allow a kick return in the first place) followed by a walk-off field goal.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The story follows the transformation of Adriana (Colin), a woman shattered by a terrible murder and who discovers the strength to start over, driven by an unquenchable thirst for justice.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • Despite the identically horrible records, these teams are in different places.
    — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • In all, the Dodgers drowned out that horrible tomahawk chop with some mighty hacks of their own, winning 3-1 while finally displaying some of the desperation that had been missing.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of horrible

Browse Nearby Words

subordination
subpar
subplot
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subpar. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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