suboptimal

[ suhb-op-tuh-muh l ]

/ sʌbˈɒp tə məl /

adjective

being below an optimal level or standard.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?

Question 1 of 10

earnest

full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.

a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.

urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also sub·op·ti·mum

[suhb-op-tuh-muh m] /sʌbˈɒp tə məm/.

Origin of suboptimal

First recorded in 1930–35; sub- + optimal

Words nearby suboptimal

suboccipital muscle, suboccipital nerve, suboccipitobregmatic diameter, suboceanic, subofficer, suboptimal, suborbital, suborder, subordinal, subordinary, subordinate

Example sentences from the Web for sub-optimal

And the long-term trend of growth—unsatisfying, sub-par, sub-optimal, and insufficient growth—is still intact.
The U.S. Economy Had a Hiccup, Not a Heart Attack, This Year|Daniel Gross|May 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The patient declared cardiac dead has organs that are sub-optimal due to loss of blood flow to the organs.
A Tragedy Compounded: The Heart-Wrenching Case of Jahi McMath May Have Devastating Consequences to Organ Donation|Soumitra R. Eachempati, MD|January 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There is no longer any room for those with sub-optimal looks.
Marty Feldman: Dead Cool|Simon Doonan|November 2, 2009|DAILY BEAST

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