/ Dictionary / Index S second-rate: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: sec•ond-rate Pronunciation: (sek'und-rāt'), [key] — adj. of lesser or minor quality, importance, or the like: a second-rate poet. inferior; mediocre: a second-rate performance. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. See also: second-rate (Thesaurus) second position Second Reader Related Content Daily Word Quiz: frugal Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language