Standard Lemma guide

subpar

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /səbˈpɑː/
  • US: /səbˈpɑɹ/
  • US: [səbˈphɑɹ]
  • US: [səbˈphɑ˞]
  • Canada: /səbˈpɑɹ/
  • CMU ARPABET: S AH0 B P AA1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of less than a traditional or accepted standard.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Bob's grasp of English was subpar.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: below par, second-rate, under par, ass, bad, base, bottom-shelf, BTEC, bum, cheap, cheap and nasty, cheapshit, cheesy, chintzy, coffee-and, crap, crappo, crappy, craptastic, crapperific, craptabulous, craptacular, cruddy, crummy, dogwater, drecky, flimsy, fourth-rate, gash, garbage, god-awful, inferior, lousy, low, low-grade, low-quality, low-rent, made in China, mid, naughty, one-star, poor, poor man's, pound-shop, punk, rinky-dink, ropy, rubbish, sad, schlocky, scrubby, shoddy, slazy, slight, slim, subpar, shit, shite, shitty, substandard, ticky-tacky, tenth-rate, third-rate, tin-pot, trash, trashy, woeful, wretched

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Synonym of below par.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: golf, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: below par

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Trading at a price below face value.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub-der. English sub- English par English subpar From sub- + par.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: onder de maat — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • Dutch: benedenmaats — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • Finnish: ala-arvoinen — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • French: médiocre — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • French: en dessous de la moyenne — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • Polish: niedostateczny — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • Russian: дешёвка (dešóvka) — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • Russian: ниже среднего (niže srednevo) — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • Spanish: por debajo de la media — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • Spanish: subpar — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • Spanish: mediocre — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • Spanish: deficiente — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • Spanish: insatisfactorio — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • Spanish: inferior — of less than a traditional or accepted standard
  • Spanish: subóptimo — of less than a traditional or accepted standard