variants
or less commonly sub-par
chiefly US
: below par: such as
a
: below a usual or normal level or standard
subpar attendance
a subpar performance
Why would a major football school fire a successful coach following a single subpar season?—
Jerry Kirshenbaum
Jerry KirshenbaumBecause of phylloxera, vineyards have been inconsistent and yielding subpar grapes.—James Laube
James Laube
b
golf
: having a score lower than par
His 19 birdies and two eagles gave him more subpar holes than anyone …—David Barrett
David Barrett… Augusta National never played easier. … Saturday's 30 subpar rounds broke a third-round tournament record …—John Garrity
John Garrity
Did you know?
Since sub- means "below", almost anything that fails to measure up to a traditional standard may be called subpar. So you may hear of subpar ratings for a TV show, subpar care at a nursing home, subpar attendance at a concert, or subpar work by a contractor. If you played a subpar round of golf, though, you needed more strokes than you should have.
Synonyms
Examples of subpar in a Sentence
the service at the restaurant was subpar, to say the least
Recent Examples on the Web
An endless array of products doesn’t impress if the experience is subpar.
—Lauren Parker, WWD, 15 Jan. 2025
Persistently monitoring employees suggests a deficit of confidence and independence in their roles, conveying that the employees’ performance is subpar and cultivating a sense of inadequacy.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
The veteran head coach was seen as the man to lead Sacramento forward for the foreseeable future but a subpar season last year started to put doubt into things around the league.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
Shorn of some of the 49ers’ key weapons in wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and running back Christian McCaffrey, and with Deebo Samuel having a subpar season, Purdy remains the likely 49ers’ quarterback of the future and is due a huge contract extension in the offseason.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for subpar 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lauren Parker, WWD, 15 Jan. 2025
Persistently monitoring employees suggests a deficit of confidence and independence in their roles, conveying that the employees’ performance is subpar and cultivating a sense of inadequacy.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
The veteran head coach was seen as the man to lead Sacramento forward for the foreseeable future but a subpar season last year started to put doubt into things around the league.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
Shorn of some of the 49ers’ key weapons in wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and running back Christian McCaffrey, and with Deebo Samuel having a subpar season, Purdy remains the likely 49ers’ quarterback of the future and is due a huge contract extension in the offseason.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for subpar
Dictionary Entries Near subpar
Cite this Entry
“Subpar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subpar. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share