What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
inferior
Example
The quality of the material used in this shirt is inferior to the other one. [inferior: adjective]
Example
She felt inferior to her classmates because she struggled with math. [inferior: adjective]
Example
The company's inferior products led to a decrease in sales. [inferior: plural noun]
substandard
Example
The construction work was substandard and did not meet the safety regulations. [substandard: adjective]
Example
The restaurant received a bad review due to its substandard food quality. [substandard: adjective]
Example
The company was fined for providing substandard services to its customers. [substandard: plural noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Substandard is less common than inferior in everyday language, but is often used in formal or technical contexts where minimum standards are important.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between inferior and substandard?
Substandard is generally more formal than inferior, and is often used in legal or technical documents to describe products or services that do not meet the required standards.
