INFERIOR
Dictionary entry overview: What does inferior mean?
• INFERIOR (noun)
The noun INFERIOR has 2 senses:
1. one of lesser rank or station or quality
2. a character or symbol set or printed or written beneath or slightly below and to the side of another character
Familiarity information: INFERIOR used as a noun is rare.
• INFERIOR (adjective)
The adjective INFERIOR has 7 senses:
1. of or characteristic of low rank or importance
2. of low or inferior quality
3. inferior in rank or status
4. written or printed below and to one side of another character
5. having an orbit between the sun and the Earth's orbit
6. lower than a given reference point
7. falling short of some prescribed norm
Familiarity information: INFERIOR used as an adjective is common.
Dictionary entry details
• INFERIOR (noun)
Meaning:
One of lesser rank or station or quality
Classified under:
Nouns denoting people
Hypernyms ("inferior" is a kind of...):
follower (a person who accepts the leadership of another)
Antonym:
superior (one of greater rank or station or quality)
Meaning:
A character or symbol set or printed or written beneath or slightly below and to the side of another character
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Synonyms:
subscript; inferior
Hypernyms ("inferior" is a kind of...):
character; grapheme; graphic symbol (a written symbol that is used to represent speech)
• INFERIOR (adjective)
Meaning:
Of or characteristic of low rank or importance
Similar:
outclassed (decisively surpassed by something else so as to appear to be of a lower class)
middle-level (intermediate in rank or position)
low-level (at a low level in rank or importance)
indifferent (fairly poor to not very good)
humble; low; lowly; modest; small (low or inferior in station or quality)
Also:
low (less than normal in degree or intensity or amount)
low (literal meanings; being at or having a relatively small elevation or upward extension)
low-level; subordinate (lower in rank or importance)
Antonym:
superior (of or characteristic of high rank or importance)
Meaning:
Of low or inferior quality
Similar:
deplorable; execrable; miserable; woeful; wretched (of very poor quality or condition)
less ((usually preceded by 'no') lower in quality)
low-grade (of inferior quality)
mediocre; second-rate (moderate to inferior in quality)
ropey; ropy ((British informal) very poor in quality)
scrawny; scrubby; stunted (inferior in size or quality)
second-class (of inferior status or quality)
third-rate (of lesser quality than second-rate)
utility; utility-grade (used of beef; usable but inferior)
commercial (of the kind or quality used in commerce; average or inferior)
coarsened (made coarse or crude by lack of skill)
bad (below average in quality or performance)
base ((used of metals) consisting of or alloyed with inferior metal)
bum; cheap; cheesy; chintzy; crummy; punk; sleazy; tinny (of very poor quality; flimsy)
bush; bush-league (not of the highest quality or sophistication)
flimsy (resembling cardboard especially in flimsiness)
cheapjack; shoddy; tawdry (cheap and shoddy)
coarse; common (of low or inferior quality or value)
Also:
worst ((superlative of 'bad') most wanting in quality or value or condition)
Attribute:
caliber; calibre; quality (a degree or grade of excellence or worth)
Antonym:
superior (of high or superior quality or performance)
Meaning:
Inferior in rank or status
Synonyms:
petty; lower-ranking; junior-grade; subaltern; lowly; secondary; inferior; subordinate
Context examples:
the junior faculty / a lowly corporal / petty officialdom / a subordinate functionary
Similar:
junior (younger; lower in rank; shorter in length of tenure or service)
Meaning:
Written or printed below and to one side of another character
Synonyms:
subscript; inferior
Domain category:
printing; printing process (reproduction by applying ink to paper as for publication)
Meaning:
Having an orbit between the sun and the Earth's orbit
Context example:
Mercury and Venus are inferior planets
Domain category:
astronomy; uranology (the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole)
Antonym:
superior (having an orbit farther from the sun than the Earth's orbit)
Meaning:
Lower than a given reference point
Context example:
inferior alveolar artery
Similar:
bottom (situated at the bottom or lowest position)
Domain category:
anatomy; general anatomy (the branch of morphology that deals with the structure of animals)
Meaning:
Falling short of some prescribed norm
Synonyms:
substandard; deficient; inferior
Context example:
substandard housing
Similar:
nonstandard (varying from or not adhering to a standard)
