as in diminutive
of a size that is less than average
because of the summer drought, harvests have definitely been subnormal this year
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Recent Examples of subnormal
Quite simply, normal human consciousness is optimized for normal human functioning, but is subnormal for achieving goals beyond the ordinary.
—
Brett Steenbarger, Forbes, 30 May 2021
Flow off the 50-degree waters of Lake Michigan will bring our first subnormal temperatures in 10 days.
—Tom Skilling, chicagotribune.com, 31 May 2018
Everybody knew that comics were for children and for intellectually subnormal people, whereas graphic novel sounds like a much more sophisticated proposition.
—Adam Rogers, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2009
Brett Steenbarger, Forbes, 30 May 2021
Flow off the 50-degree waters of Lake Michigan will bring our first subnormal temperatures in 10 days.
—Tom Skilling, chicagotribune.com, 31 May 2018
Everybody knew that comics were for children and for intellectually subnormal people, whereas graphic novel sounds like a much more sophisticated proposition.
—Adam Rogers, WIRED, 23 Feb. 2009
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subnormal
Adjective
-
Baby-faced, diminutive, and drowned by the baggy shirts on his back, Mora is a child running rings around the pros.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
-
That the diminutive McDaniel didn’t look (or sound) the part of an NFL head coach hardly mattered two years ago, when his team was hanging 70 points on Denver.—
Barry Jackson
Updated October 19,
Miami Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Add the ginger during the last minute of cooking, then transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Martin knocked on the hunter’s small tent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Inside, two picnic tables were stacked on top of each other, leaving little room to climb.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
During last week's episode, viewers saw Dylan dance with his little sister, Olivia, for Dedication Night on.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Working primarily in the North Sea, Müller had pioneered the use of extremely fine nets to collect these and other tiny marine organisms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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According to Thorsten Schumm, PhD, a researcher at the Vienna University of Technology’s (TU Wien) Institute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics, some theories suggest that the fine-structure constant may not be truly constant.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Large clutches, like those at Bottega Veneta and Chanel, and comfortable shoulder bags like the Miu Miu multi-pocket bag, also featured.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Built with water-resistant polyester, this spacious duffel has a dedicated shoe compartment, an end pocket for wet or dirty clothes, a multi-pocket compression panel for organization, and an interior divider curtain that can be removed to hold bulky clothes or outdoor gear.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subnormal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subnormal. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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