adjective

substandard

suhb-STAN-duhd

Substandard (adjective) means Below the accepted level of quality; not good enough. Example: “The inspector condemned the building for substandard wiring.”

adjective

Below the accepted level of quality; not good enough.

"The inspector condemned the building for substandard wiring."

"Workers complained about substandard housing near the factory."

Not matching the standard, "correct" form of a language or dialect.

"Linguists study substandard speech patterns without judging them as wrong."

How to Use Substandard

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishNot good enough — below the normal quality bar expected for something.

Common pairings

substandard conditions substandard housing substandard quality

Word Forms

more substandard comparative, most substandard superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “substandard” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The inspector condemned the building for _____ wiring.

Etymology

From sub- ("below") plus standard.

Rhymes for substandard

standard

See all rhymes for substandard →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “substandard” mean?

The word “substandard” means below the accepted level of quality; not good enough. In plain terms, not good enough — below the normal quality bar expected for something.

How do you pronounce “substandard”?

“Substandard” is pronounced suhb-STAN-duhd (/ˌsʌbˈstændɚd/ in IPA).

How do you use “substandard” in a sentence?

Here is “substandard” used in a sentence: “The inspector condemned the building for substandard wiring.”

What part of speech is “substandard”?

“Substandard” is an adjective.

How many meanings does “substandard” have?

“Substandard” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: below the accepted level of quality; not good enough.