second-rate
adjective
sec·ond-rate
ˌse-kən(d)-ˈrāt 
: of second or inferior quality or value : mediocre
a second-rate restaurant
second-rateness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of second-rate in a Sentence
a second-rate song from a songwriter who has done much better
a second-rate company that was never considered among the top manufacturers of televisions
second-rate goods specifically manufactured for the low end of the market
Recent Examples on the Web
For some philosophers, hope is a second-rate way of relating to reality.
—
Big Think, 24 June 2024
After the composer’s death, a hokey big operatic ending got tacked on with a showy duet by a second-rate composer, Franco Alfano.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
Iran is another second-rate safe haven for al Qaeda.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2021
Aside from the weather, hourlong wait times for food, defective wristbands and second-rate VIP experiences were among the complaints from festivalgoers.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 5 May 2024
The world’s most valuable basketball franchise has a second-rate broadcasting team.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 5 May 2024
Movies based on vintage, often second-rate network shows don’t usually offer audiences much more than weak, watery nostalgia.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
But there’s another component to the issue of second-rate men’s basketball: The collective ceiling.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
American doctors are excellent but so are physicians around the globe
U.S. physicians believe that training outside the states is a second-rate education.
—Robert Pearl, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
Big Think, 24 June 2024
After the composer’s death, a hokey big operatic ending got tacked on with a showy duet by a second-rate composer, Franco Alfano.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2024
Iran is another second-rate safe haven for al Qaeda.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2021
Aside from the weather, hourlong wait times for food, defective wristbands and second-rate VIP experiences were among the complaints from festivalgoers.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 5 May 2024
The world’s most valuable basketball franchise has a second-rate broadcasting team.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 5 May 2024
Movies based on vintage, often second-rate network shows don’t usually offer audiences much more than weak, watery nostalgia.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 3 May 2024
But there’s another component to the issue of second-rate men’s basketball: The collective ceiling.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
American doctors are excellent but so are physicians around the globe
U.S. physicians believe that training outside the states is a second-rate education.
—Robert Pearl, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'second-rate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near second-rate
Cite this Entry
“Second-rate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second-rate. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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