Skip to main content
substandard

substandard

27 4.4
Not as good as the usual or required quality
  • adjective
  • /sʌbˈstændərd/
translation icon : deficiente
  • They said you were untrained, undisciplined and substandard.
  • substandard housing
  • substandard conditions
  • substandard performance

And then when investigators went in, they found substandard protocols in place.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • International poverty and inequality thus support and reinforce acquiescence to substandard housing and employment conditions.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Little attention has been paid to how these workers and their families perceive and respond to substandard housing conditions.

    Academic text (2017)
  • The accommodation is substandard, and a third of the women share a room.

    Academic text (1992)
  • And then when investigators went in, they found substandard protocols in place.

  • The community suffered from high unemployment, low per capita income, insufficient health care, and substandard housing.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Many Native Americans exist and thrive under conditions that would be judged substandard by the surrounding majority culture.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Some mental health hospitals are criticized for substandard or even inhumane living conditions.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The housing and sanitation are often substandard and include one-room homes that lack water and toilet facilities.

    Academic text (2002)
  • When teachers are unproductive and the quality of education is substandard, a country's economy is also eventually affected.

    Academic text (2000)
  • Many factories were shut down due to their substandard safety practices.

Synonyms

bad
vssubstandard
1.0

Not good in quality or below the usual standard

is focused specifically on not meeting expected quality or performance
crappy
vssubstandard
  • NSFW
176 7.5

Very bad or of low quality

is a neutral description for failing to meet usual or required standards
inadequate
vssubstandard
118 4.4

Not enough or not good enough to do what is needed

highlights falling below the usual quality or performance expected
inferior
vssubstandard
63 3.7

Not as good in quality as something else

focuses on failing to reach an accepted quality or performance level
deficient
vssubstandard
35 4.3

Not having enough of something needed

refers instead to overall failure to reach required quality or performance
abysmal
vssubstandard
25 7.1

Very bad or of poor quality

is the general term for items that simply do not meet required standards
second-rate
vssubstandard
23 4.4

Not as good as the best, often cheap or simple

is used when quality fails to meet normal or required standards
third-rate
vssubstandard
  • Informal
17 4.7

Of very low quality and not good enough

is a broader term for anything that does not meet required quality
unsatisfactory
vssubstandard
17 3.9

Not good enough to be acceptable

is the broader idea of being below the usual or required standard
subpar
vssubstandard
15 4.5

Not as good as people expect

is the general label for anything below the usual or required standard
low quality
vssubstandard
13 2.8

Something that is not good or well made

applies broadly to things that fall short of required quality or performance
low-grade
vssubstandard
11 4.4

Not very good and worth less than similar things

covers any case where quality or performance is below the required level
woeful
vssubstandard
4 5.5

Very bad in quality or condition

is the broader category for anything below the usual or required standard
fourth-rate
vssubstandard
  • Offensive
1 6.6

Very poor quality and not good enough

is the wider description for failures to reach expected quality
subnormal
vssubstandard
1 6.4

Lower than the normal level in amount or quality

applies to cases where quality or performance does not meet set standards
fifth-rate
vssubstandard
  • Informal
1 6.8

Very low quality and not good enough

is the general term for failing to meet usual quality expectations
dissatisfactory
vssubstandard
6.5

Not as good as expected or needed

specifies the general case of not reaching required quality or performance
poorish
vssubstandard
  • Informal
4.6

Not very good in quality or condition

denotes a clear failure to reach the normal or required standard
subaverage
vssubstandard
4.9

Lower than the normal level in quality or performance

is about failing to reach an accepted quality or required performance level
subprofessional
vssubstandard
7.0

Below the skill or quality of a trained expert

is a general label for anything that falls short of required quality

Antonyms

1.6

An agreed level of quality or rule for judging something

203 4.2

Better in quality or performance than similar things

How Good

excellent
1.0
good
1.0
adequate
234 2.7
mediocre
109 4.8
substandard
27 4.4
poor
838 1.0
defective
57 3.9

Surface Forms

substandard positive

Morphology

substandard = standard (transparent) = sub + standard

The prefix 'sub-' clearly indicates 'below' or 'under', and when combined with 'standard', it transparently conveys the meaning of being below the usual quality.

Etymology

Substandard comes from the prefix sub- meaning 'under' and the word standard meaning 'a level or rule'. So something substandard is 'under the usual level' in quality or performance.