as in subordinate
one who is of lower rank and typically under the authority of another
she is nice to her inferiors as well as to her superiors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in lower
situated lower down
creatures that inhabit the dark, inferior depths of the ocean
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2
as in minor
of little or less value or merit
a girl who has always felt inferior to her older sister
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3
as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank
at one time, the upper crust liked to believe that inferior people were fit only to be servants
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4
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard
an inferior science textbook that was out-of-date the day that it was published
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5
as in lesser
having not so great importance or rank as another
an inferior officer cannot strike a superior under any circumstances
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6
as in poor
of low quality
inferior chocolate candy that no serious chocolate lover would think of eating
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inferior
Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 1 Jan. 2026
Cruz, Cantwell, and some of their colleagues say the language in the NDAA — specifically Section 373 — allows military aircraft to use inferior technology and avoid transmitting locations of its aircraft.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Trap games galore This is the time of year when quality teams can get caught looking past inferior opponents.
—Mike Jones, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025
Women are treated like commodities, mere inferior window dressing that are undeserving of becoming literate.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inferior
Adjective
Expect a steady diet of clock-killing carries against an inferior Cards team while Stafford stays clean and Kyren quietly racks up points.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferior
Noun
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Many politicians should, but won’t, learn worthwhile lessons about the value of public deference and praise of subordinates who work every day on the front lines.—
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Cook was reportedly allowed to quietly resign in 2020 by Hogsett after an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate came to light.—
Adjective
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And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.—
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Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices.—
Adjective
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The most minor miscalculation can botch a landing.—
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Its versatile uses range from nourishing the lips to minor wound care—helping maintain hydration along the way.—
Adjective
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The president argued that inflation was already low enough to start cutting rates.—
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There’s something motivating about having this low, electronic drumbeat pushing you along, trying to go faster and faster and faster.—
Adjective
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To make large profits from parking fees to make up for his terrible management of tax dollars and his expensive real estate errors should be unacceptable.—
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In just 24 hours, the president unveiled three massive state interventions into different markets that might’ve once looked—and sounded—like unacceptable levels of socialist dirigisme for a Republican to champion.—
Adjective
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Even lesser-scale incidents like the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal and the Volkswagen emissions scandal erode trust in the institutions that help make our society possible and push it forward.—
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Toronto’s Fred VanVleet appears to be the top target, but Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have been linked to the team at various points.—
Adjective
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Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.—
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In recent games, KU’s communication has been pretty poor on defense and that’s led to players taking (and too often missing) wide-open 3-pointers.—
Adjective
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People want to write mean things.—
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The Old Pal is like a Negroni, but meaner.—
Cite this Entry
“Inferior.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferior. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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