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

Cheap lending to low-quality borrowers renders one of Beijing’s prime policy tools less efficient.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Giant formed its own brand at a time when the label "Made in Taiwan" bore the stigma of cheap, low-quality goods and cycling was still seen locally as a poor man's mode of transport.

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

The island produces 40,000 barrels a day of low-quality crude, which is mostly used to power obsolete electricty plants that often fail because of shoddy maintenance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

“AI is being exploited by bad actors to flood streaming services with low-quality slop to game the system and attempt to divert royalties away from authentic artists,” said Hellman.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

Stanton weeded out unfit and incompetent officers; battled dishonest government contractors who sold the army low-quality uniforms, rotting equipment, and defective weapons; and endured an epidemic of officers who would not fight.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson