low-grade

low-grade — adjective

1. falling short of an acceptable standard of quality — used of products, materials

1.形容詞B2
釋義

falling short of an acceptable standard of quality — used of products, materials, or work that rank below what buyers or inspectors consider satisfactory.

例句

The construction company used low-grade steel beams that began to rust within a year.

collocation: low-grade + material noun (steel, timber, plastic)

Antonia refused to buy low-grade olive oil after learning how much the flavour suffered.

同義詞
  • inferior

    more formal and often implies a comparison to something better; common in academic or technical writing

  • substandard

    stronger disapproval — suggests the item fails to meet a minimum required level

  • second-rate

    more informal; implies mediocrity and disappointing quality

反義詞
  • high-grade

    the direct opposite — indicating top-tier quality

  • premium

    suggests superior materials or craftsmanship at a higher price

文法句型

low-grade + [product/material noun]

用法筆記

Commonly used before nouns for products, materials, or goods to indicate below-average quality. The phrase 'not very good in quality or low in value' captures the core idea — this sense often appears in retail, manufacturing, and construction contexts.

常見錯誤

❌He is a low-grade employee.
✅He is a low-level employee.
💡low-grade does not describe a person's rank or seniority.
❌This is a low-grade work.
✅This is low-grade work.
💡low-grade is not preceded by an article when used attributively without a following noun to modify (though 'a low-grade piece of work' is fine).

2. at or near the lower end of a scale that measures severity, intensity, or import

2.形容詞B2
釋義

at or near the lower end of a scale that measures severity, intensity, or importance — describing illnesses, symptoms, pain, criminal offences, or radiation that are relatively mild.

例句

The doctor said a low-grade fever under 38°C was nothing to worry about.

collocation: low-grade fever / temperature

Élise was sent home with a low-grade infection that healed on its own.

同義詞
  • mild

    more common in everyday speech for illnesses and weather; 'mild fever' is less clinical than 'low-grade fever'

  • minor

    used more broadly for problems, injuries, and offences; neutral in register

  • slight

    emphasises a very small degree; common with temperature, pain, and chance

反義詞
  • high-grade

    used for the opposite end of the severity scale (high-grade fever, high-grade infection)

  • severe

    general antonym indicating much greater seriousness

文法句型

low-grade + [medical noun / crime noun]

用法筆記

This sense is used when the speaker wants to indicate that something is 'not very severe or important' relative to its full range. Most frequent in medical writing (low-grade fever, low-grade infection, low-grade inflammation) but also appears in legal and social contexts (low-grade crime, low-grade misconduct). Not used in formal legal codes — those prefer 'misdemeanour' or 'summary offence'.

常見錯誤

❌She had a low fever, so she stayed home.
✅She had a low-grade fever, so she stayed home.
💡the standard medical expression is 'low-grade fever,' not 'low fever.'
❌He committed a low-grade robbery.
✅He committed a petty robbery.
💡for legal categories, 'low-grade' is non-standard; use 'petty' or 'minor' instead.