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There is no scorn more profound, or on the whole more justifiable, than that of the men who make for the men who explain. Exposition, criticism, appreciation, is work for second-rate minds.
G. H. Hardy

Meaning of "second-rate" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF SECOND-RATE

second-rate play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF SECOND-RATE

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Second-Rate is an adjective.
The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.

WHAT DOES SECOND-RATE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

second-rate

Second-rate

In the British Royal Navy, a second rate was a ship of the line which by the start of the 18th century mounted 90 to 98 guns on three gun decks; earlier 17th century second rates had fewer guns and were originally two-deckers or had only partially armed third gun decks. The term in no way implied that they were of inferior quality. They were essentially smaller and hence cheaper versions of the three-decker first rates. Like the first rates, they fought in the line of battle, but unlike the first rates, which were considered too valuable to risk in distant stations, the second rates often served also in major overseas stations as flagships. They had a reputation for poor handling and slow sailing.

Definition of second-rate in the English dictionary

The definition of second-rate in the dictionary is not of the highest quality; mediocre. Other definition of second-rate is second in importance, etc.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE SECOND-RATE

second-class honours degree
second-degree
second-degree burn
second-grader
second-guess
second-guesser
second-half
second-hand
second-hand bookseller
second-hand bookshop
second-hand dealer
second-hand smoke
second-homer
second-in-command
second-rater
second-row
second-sighted
second-sightedness
second-strike
second-tier

WORDS THAT END LIKE SECOND-RATE

accurate
at any rate
capped-rate
celebrate
cheap-rate
corporate
cut-rate
demonstrate
first-rate
flat-rate
fourth-rate
generate
inaccurate
moderate
operate
premium-rate
rate
separate
third-rate
zero-rate

Synonyms and antonyms of second-rate in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «SECOND-RATE»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «second-rate» and belong to the same grammatical category.
synonyms of second-rate

Translation of «second-rate» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF SECOND-RATE

Find out the translation of second-rate to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of second-rate from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «second-rate» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

次级的
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

mediocre
570 millions of speakers

English

second-rate
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

दूसरे दर्जे
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

مِنَ الدَرَجَةِ الثانِيَة
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

второсортный
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

de segunda categoria
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

দ্বিতীয় শ্রেণীর
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

médiocre
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Kadar kedua
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

zweitrangig
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

二流の
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

2등급의
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Tingkat liyane
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

loại thường
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

இரண்டாவது விகிதம்
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

द्वितीय दर्जा
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

ikinci sınıf
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

di second’ordine
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

drugorzędny
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

другосортний
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

de calitatea a doua
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

δευτεροκλασάτος
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

tweede - koers
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

andra klassens
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

middelmådig
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of second-rate

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «SECOND-RATE»

The term «second-rate» is regularly used and occupies the 68.496 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
68
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «second-rate» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of second-rate
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «second-rate».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «SECOND-RATE» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «second-rate» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «second-rate» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about second-rate

EXAMPLES

10 QUOTES WITH «SECOND-RATE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word second-rate.
1
Cyril Connolly
A lazy person, whatever the talents with which he set out, will have condemned himself to second-hand thoughts and to second-rate friends.
2
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
I never tried to emulate my father. Anyone trying to do that would be a second-rate carbon copy.
3
Judy Garland
Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.
4
Natalia Ginzburg
You aren't ill: it is just that you are made of second-rate materials.
5
G. H. Hardy
There is no scorn more profound, or on the whole more justifiable, than that of the men who make for the men who explain. Exposition, criticism, appreciation, is work for second-rate minds.
6
Sam Houston
All new states are invested, more or less, by a class of noisy, second-rate men who are always in favor of rash and extreme measures, but Texas was absolutely overrun by such men.
7
Martin Jacques
In Formula One, the car can make a difference in a way that a driver cannot. Whereas Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna spent their early seasons in second-rate machinery, Hamilton walked into the equal best car on the grid. His first season none the less has, by any standards, been extraordinary.
8
Wayne Kramer
It wasn't a class system where I was the better guy and he was the second-rate guy. That was his role and my role was to play the solos. But he took great pride in his technique as a rhythm guitarist.
9
Abraham Maslow
A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting.
10
A. A. Milne
The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «SECOND-RATE»

Discover the use of second-rate in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to second-rate and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
A Bawdy Language: How a Second-Rate Language Slept Its Way ...
Howard Richler shows that despite its not-so-great beginnings, the English language, with its idiomatic structure, multiple word meanings, and love of euphemisms, has evolved into a deeply sophisticated form of communication.
Howard Richler, 2001
2
Second-rate nation: from the American dream to the American myth
Drawing on ample comparative evidence, this book shows that America lags significantly behind other advanced countries in health care, education, crime, civil liberties, racial and ethnic equality, environmental protection, and key features ...
Sam D. Sieber, 2005
3
An Apology for the Conduct of a Late Celebrated Second-rate ...
A N 4 APOLOGY For the Conduct os a late celebrated second-rate Minister, from the Year 1729, at which Time he commenc'd Courtier, till within a sew Weeks of his Death, in 1746. Giving a clear View of his real Principles and Design, and ...
Thomas Winnington, 1747
4
Second-Rate Citizens or Britain through the Eyes of Polish ...
Immigrants. He was packing up cardboard boxes and preparing them for shipping. Alec set his mind on this job and started digging holes under Filipe. He was persistent and eventually got the job. We had known Alec was telling on Filipe as ...
Immigrants, 2012
5
Conspiring with Forms: Life in Academic Texts
less, silenced; of course everything rises that deserves to rise, because if it hasn't risen it hasn't deserved to. In the terms that I've been employing, what's first-rate is finally and fate- fully separable from what's second-rate, or else it wouldn't be ...
Terry Caesar, 2010
6
CCNA Security 640-554 Official Cert Guide
Match: protocol cuseeme 0 packets, 0 bytes 30 second rate 0 bps Match: protocol dns 0 packets, 0 bytes 30 second rate 0 bps Match: protocol ftp 0 packets, 0 bytes 30 second rate 0 bps Match: protocol https 0 packets, 0 bytes 30 second rate 0 ...
Keith Barker, Scott Morris, 2012
7
A General History of the Dichleamydeous Plants ... Arranged ...
Lois. l. c. 5. p. 198. no. 32. t. 56. l'. 8. 11 IlIonsieur (Duham. arb. fr. 2. p. 78. no. 15. t. 7.), monsieur ordinaire. Wood downy. Fruit middle—sized, purple, round; flesh separating from the stone. A second-rate dessert and kitchen fruit, ripening in ...
George Don, 1832
8
A General History of the Dichlamydeous Plants
l. c. 5. p. 198. no. 82. t. 56. f. 8. ll .lllonsieur (Duham. arb. fr. 2. p. 78. no. 15. t. 7.), monsieur ordinaire. Wood downy. Fruit middle-sized, purple, round ; flesh separating from the stone. A second-rate dessert and kitchen fruit, ripening in the middle ...
George Don, 1832
9
General History of the Dichlamydeous Plants
5 Black Hudson's Bay, black pine, Hoisie's seedling. Fruit conical, middle-sized. A second-rate sort, ripening beginning of July. 6 Black roseberry, black round- fruited roscberry. Fruit roundish, large. A first-rate sort, of a fine dark shining colour, ...
George Don, 1832
10
E-Z ECG Rhythm Interpretation
... 3–9 Regular Regular/Irregular 3–10 Irregular Regular/Irregular 50 bpm Six- second rate 70 bpm Six-second rate 80 bpm Six-second rate 50 bpm Six-second rate 160 bpm Six-second rate 80 bpm Six-second rate 60 bpm Six-second rate 130 ...
Henry B Geiter, Jr, 2006

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «SECOND-RATE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term second-rate is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Gynecological surgery: Second rate training for second rate patients?
Perhaps women remain “second-rate” citizens in the United States of America? Hooman Noorchashm and Amy Reed, husband-and-wife physicians, have ... «Philly.com, Jun 15»
2
Second-rate, trying hard copycat! 17 famous lines from Pinoy movies
MANILA – Veteran actress Cherie Gil made the news on Tuesday after claiming ownership over an iconic line she delivered in the 1985 movie “Bituing Walang ... «ABS CBN News, Jun 15»
3
Queen's new coin portrait: Second-rate sculpture makes her look …
I write of Donatello quite deliberately, and in order to remind ourselves that what we have here is nothing less than a second-rate sample of low-relief sculpture. «The Independent, Mar 15»
4
Europe Is Still a Second-Rate Power
The continent's economy is flagging, its population is declining, and issues like immigration and high taxes are stalling meaningful progress, even as ... «Daily Beast, Feb 15»
5
Single Parenting Isn't Second-Rate
Single Parenting isn't Second-Rate Miranda broke down in tears while talking to me. She'd suffered months of abuse by her husband following the birth of her ... «PsychCentral.com, Feb 15»
6
Second-gear Madrid expose second-rate Bundesliga
Real Madrid strolled to the verge of the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Schalke which was every bit as convincing as the thrashing ... «Goal.com, Feb 15»
7
Second-rate mobile apps abound, says Israeli expert
All's not well in the world of mobile apps, claims Tsiki Naftaly, CEO of Israeli app development start-up Zemingo. “The mistake most companies make is to try to ... «The Times of Israel, Jan 15»
8
Why are we still using a 'second-rate' calendar system 'imposed by a …
In the words of economist Steve Hanke, co-designer of the Hanke-Henry calendar, the Gregorian system is a “second-rate calendar imposed by a pope over 400 ... «National Post, Dec 14»
9
Prostate patients 'get second-rate NHS care' says report
Prostate cancer patients are receiving 'second rate' care on the NHS compared to women with breast cancer, a report warns. They are far less likely to be ... «Daily Mail, Oct 14»
10
Government low-balling us on second-rate NBN
When half the country has second-rate broadband there's less incentive to build new services to take advantage of faster speeds, so the "zero marginal utility" ... «Sydney Morning Herald, Aug 14»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Second-Rate [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/second-rate>. May 2024 ».
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