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Definitions

second-rate

[sek-uhnd-reyt] / ˈsɛk əndˈreɪt /


ADJECTIVE
inadequate
Synonyms
Antonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They also require the world to shower prizes on them for their bumbling, second-rate work.

From Salon • Jan. 14, 2026

In the span of just a few months, Google has fought off concerns that AI would kill its Search business and has transformed Gemini from a second-rate chatbot into a serious competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 22, 2025

Mamdani's attempt to break into the competitive world of professional music did not last, with the performer-turned-politician calling himself a second-rate artist.

From Barron's • Oct. 26, 2025

“We’ve had generations, baby boomers and older, who really looked at private brands as a second-rate item,” said grocery consultant Phil Lempert.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025

On May 3, 1923, when Elkins was twenty-one, she married a second-rate white boxer.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann




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