inferiority

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Quality of being lesser

Nouns

1. inferiority, minority, subordinacy; inadequacy, deficiency (see insufficiency); minimum; smallness; imperfection; poorness, meanness; subservience. See inequality, mediocrity, littleness.

2. inferior, subordinate, junior, underling; second best, runner-up, also-ran; second fiddle. Slang, second-stringer, long shot, munchkin.

Verbs — not pass [muster], not measure up to; play second fiddle; scrape the bottom of the barrel. Informal, take a backseat, get the short end of the stick. Slang, suck.

Adjectives — inferior, smaller; minor, junior, less[er], deficient, minus, lower, subordinate, secondary; second-rate, second-class, imperfect; short, inadequate, out of depth; subaltern; abysmal; weighed in the balance and found wanting, below par; not fit to hold a candle to. Slang, lame-ass, nowhere, ticky-tacky, rooty-poot.

Adverbs — below; behind, beneath; below par; short of, in the hole; at the bottom of the scale; at a low ebb. Informal, not up to snuff.

Phrases — always a bridesmaid, never a bride; you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Quotations — A man who has not been in Italy is always conscious of an inferiority (Samuel Johnson), No one can make you feel inferior without your consent (Eleanor Roosevelt).

Antonyms, see superiority.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. deficiency, mediocrity, inadequacy; see inability , lack 1 , 2 , weakness 2 .