low-quality

American  

[loh-kwol-i-tee] / ˈloʊˈkwɒl ɪ ti /

adjective

1. substandard; of inferior quality: Repairs made with low-quality parts are cheaper, but they won’t last long.

   It’s hard to make a delicious dish when you start with low-quality ingredients.

   Repairs made with low-quality parts are cheaper, but they won’t last long.

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Etymology

Origin of low-quality

First recorded in 1815–20; low ¹ ( def. ) + quality ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

low-quality

As I’ve written before, most of the research showing that UPFs are bad for health is low-quality and very misleading.

From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026

The strategists also warned of “extreme crowding” among momentum stocks, notably for low-quality and speculative growth segments, such as second- and third-order AI plays.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026

For lignite, the low-quality soft coal that is the most polluting, Germany has even brought the phase out forward to 2030.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

Until recently, its crowning achievements were “shrinkflation,” where companies subtly reduce product sizes to raise unit prices, and “garbatrage,” when a takeover announcement sends shares of low-quality companies in the same industry higher.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

On the second floor Mother found a row of offices that had once housed Confiserie Royale S.A.—or the Royal Candy Corporation—a grandiose name for a company that manufactured low-quality gummies and lollipops.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti