How to Say "second-rate" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “second-rate” is “mediocre” — B1 level.
Examples
La comida en ese restaurante fue bastante mediocre.
The food at that restaurant was quite mediocre.
No te conformes con un resultado mediocre; tú puedes hacerlo mejor.
Don't settle for a mediocre result; you can do better.
Muchos críticos consideraron que su actuación fue mediocre.
Many critics considered his performance to be mediocre.
One Form for All
This word ends in 'e', which means it doesn't change for gender. You can use it for both 'el libro' (the book) and 'la película' (the movie) without changing the ending.
Using it as a Person
You can use this word as a name for a person by adding 'un' or 'una' before it (e.g., 'es un mediocre'). This is a very strong way to call someone uninspired or lazy.
Thinking it just means 'average'
Mistake: “Using 'mediocre' as a polite way to say 'okay'.”
Correction: In Spanish, 'mediocre' usually sounds more negative than in English. If something is just 'okay', use 'regular' or 'pasable' instead.
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