suboptimal

adjective

ˌsəb-ˈäp-tə-məl
Definition of suboptimalnext
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard yes, living on junk food generally means that you have a suboptimal diet

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of suboptimal The home-and-home approach is wholly unprecedented and slightly suboptimal. — Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2026 Even from my extremely suboptimal vantage point in the very front corner of the theater, I was awed by the depth and crispness of the 3D imagery. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 7 May 2026 The Mets are continuing to forge ahead with the team built by Stearns and managed by Mendoza, despite suboptimal results. — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026 Avoid costly financial moves Planning ahead for financial setbacks reduces the likelihood that you’ll be forced into making a suboptimal decision. — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for suboptimal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suboptimal
  1. unacceptable
  2. poor
  3. wrong
  4. lame
  5. bad
  6. deficient
  7. flawed
Adjective
  • Still, only 28% of readers said that AI use is unacceptable in all of the circumstances presented by the survey.
    — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Intervene Intervene means several signals—or one sufficiently consequential event—indicate probable deterioration or unacceptable outcomes.
    — Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • But tensions have opened up between data center boosters and some community organizations that want to see more jobs and economic benefits go to local residents, especially predominantly poor Hispanic farm and food processing workers.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Conventional wisdom usually attributes those failures to changing markets, disruptive competitors, or poor leadership.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • The agent that flagged a bad clause in June stops flagging it in July, and nobody did anything wrong, and nothing broke.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Using the wrong type of cleaning product for your tub’s material can result in scratches, discoloration, or chips.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • In that time seven states seceded from the Union, while lame-duck Pres.
    — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The jokes are still wildly scattershot and frequently, knowingly lame; the production is still cheap and cheerfully scrappy; the whole ragged enterprise is still reliant on the evident affection and chemistry between its players to hold it together.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of lame
Adjective
  • Sensing a disconnect or worse, a feeling of being forgotten, Campbell this summer invited some of the men who wrote those letters to campus.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Dry weather periods are expected in Colorado, and wildfires tend to be worse during these times.
    — Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of bad
Adjective
  • Everybody is low, so the deficiency becomes normalized—‘normal’ is deficient.
    — Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Despite the copious downpour that led to flooding across many parts of the country in the past few weeks, India still faces the prospect of a deficient monsoon this year.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of deficient
Adjective
  • Here agents were built to find software exploits and placed in flawed or deliberately permissive environments.
    — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Every output the system produces from ambiguous or stale inputs becomes a decision someone makes in good faith on a flawed premise.
    — Leon Gordon, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of flawed

Browse Nearby Words

subnormal
suboptimal
subordinate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Suboptimal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suboptimal. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All