variants
or less commonly sub-par
chiefly US
: below par: such as
a
: below a usual or normal level or standard
subpar attendance
a subpar performance
Why would a major football school fire a successful coach following a single subpar season?—
Jerry Kirshenbaum
Jerry KirshenbaumBecause of phylloxera, vineyards have been inconsistent and yielding subpar grapes.—James Laube
James Laube
b
golf
: having a score lower than par
His 19 birdies and two eagles gave him more subpar holes than anyone …—David Barrett
David Barrett… Augusta National never played easier. … Saturday's 30 subpar rounds broke a third-round tournament record …—John Garrity
John Garrity
Did you know?
Since sub- means "below", almost anything that fails to measure up to a traditional standard may be called subpar. So you may hear of subpar ratings for a TV show, subpar care at a nursing home, subpar attendance at a concert, or subpar work by a contractor. If you played a subpar round of golf, though, you needed more strokes than you should have.
Synonyms
Examples of subpar in a Sentence
the service at the restaurant was subpar, to say the least
Recent Examples on the Web
Some consumers have also complained that bulk billing arrangements can burden them with a single, subpar internet service that costs more.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 27 Jan. 2025
Raises are earned, and should not be expected, especially if work performance is subpar; however, that is not the case in this situation.
—Soo Kim, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
An endless array of products doesn’t impress if the experience is subpar.
—Lauren Parker, WWD, 15 Jan. 2025
Persistently monitoring employees suggests a deficit of confidence and independence in their roles, conveying that the employees’ performance is subpar and cultivating a sense of inadequacy.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for subpar 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Michael Kan, PCMAG, 27 Jan. 2025
Raises are earned, and should not be expected, especially if work performance is subpar; however, that is not the case in this situation.
—Soo Kim, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
An endless array of products doesn’t impress if the experience is subpar.
—Lauren Parker, WWD, 15 Jan. 2025
Persistently monitoring employees suggests a deficit of confidence and independence in their roles, conveying that the employees’ performance is subpar and cultivating a sense of inadequacy.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for subpar
Dictionary Entries Near subpar
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subpar. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
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