low-grade

Adjective

low-grade (comparative lower-grade, superlative lowest-grade)

1. Of inferior quality.
   • Were the possibilities of improving the efficiency of British Railways' steam locomotives by making the best use of the reasonably satisfactory low-grade lump coal available today, and thereby saving more high-grade locomotive coal, borne in mind when it was decided to go ahead rapidly with...1961 September, “Talking of Trains: Greater scope for steam”, in Modern Railways, page 517

   Synonyms:

   lousy, low-rent, second-rate, ass, bad, base, below par, bottom-shelf, BTEC, bum

   Antonyms:

   high-grade

2. Minor.
   • These studies have identified a novel role for MLKL in aging, revealing a delay in the age-related reduction in circulating lymphocytes and a protection from chronic, low-grade, sterile inflammation in female Mlkl^(–/–) aged mice.2023 February 8, Emma C. Tovey Crutchfield; Sarah E. Garnish; Jessica Day; Holly Anderton; Shene Chiou; Anne Hempel; Cathrine Hall; Komal M. Patel; Pradnya Gangatirkar; Katherine R. Martin; Connie S....
   • Elevated cytokine levels in chronic viral infections are attributed to a number of stimuli. In HIV infection, chronic activation has been linked to ongoing low-grade viral replication, presence of opportunistic infections, and microbial translocation.2023 June 29, Elizabeth S. Mayne, Jaya A. George, Susan Louw, “Assessing Biomarkers in Viral Infection”, in Application of Omic Techniques to Identify New Biomarkers and Drug Targets for COVID-19...

   Antonyms:

   high-grade

3. Not steep; nearly level (having a low grade).