definitions

second-rate

[ sek-uhnd-reyt ]
/ ˈsɛk əndˈreɪt /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR second-rate ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of lesser or minor quality, importance, or the like: a second-rate poet.
inferior; mediocre: a second-rate performance.

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RELATED WORDS

crummy, inferior, mediocre, cheap, deficient, inadequate, poor, rotten, shabby, shoddy, substandard, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, low-grade, second-class, second-best, common

Nearby words

second-foot, second-generation, second-guess, second-hand, second-homer, second-rate, second-story, second-story man, second-strike, secondary, secondary abdominal pregnancy

Origin of second-rate

First recorded in 1660–70
Related formssec·ond-rate·ness, nounsec·ond·rat·er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for second-rate

British Dictionary definitions for second-rate

second-rate

adjective

not of the highest quality; mediocre
second in importance, etc
Derived Formssecond-rater, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for second-rate

second-rate

adj.

1660s, originally of ships; see rate (n.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper