mediocre
Americanadjective
-
of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate.
The car gets only mediocre mileage, but it's fun to drive.
- Synonyms:
- run-of-the-mill, everyday, pedestrian, commonplace, undistinguished
- Antonyms:
- incomparable, uncommon, superior, extraordinary
-
not satisfactory; poor; inferior.
Mediocre construction makes that building dangerous.
- Synonyms:
- so-so, second-rate, low-quality, meager
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of mediocre
First recorded in 1580–90; from Middle French, from Latin mediocris “in a middle state,” literally, “at middle height,” equivalent to medi(us) “center, middle” + Old Latin ocris “rugged mountain,” cognate with Greek ókris, akin to ákros “apex”; compare Umbrian ocar “hill, citadel”; see origin at mid 1
Explanation
Mediocre is an adjective that means "merely adequate" or "of only ordinary quality." A "C" is a mediocre grade for students who are fair to middling. The roots of the adjective mediocre are from the Latin medial, "middle," and ocris, "mountain." If you think about it, the middle of a mountain is neither up nor down and neither here nor there — just somewhere in between. The definition of mediocre is "of ordinary quality," "merely adequate," and "average." Another word that shares the same root is mediocracy, which means "government run by mediocre people" — an all-too-common condition.
Vocabulary lists containing mediocre
List 6
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National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Broadcom’s mediocre revenue guidance causes its shares to slump, raising questions about artificial-intelligence demand.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
It left the squad mediocre and unbalanced as expensive new acquisitions spluttered or suffered injuries, while their recruitment team failed to deliver one of their most significant targets.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
Despite his track record of mediocre offense—he has lifetime .257 batting average with a .674 OPS—his defensive versatility and his positive clubhouse presence have made him attractive as a utility man.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
They’re pruning good investors who had a down year and keeping mediocre ones who got lucky.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
He was a mediocre student who had a facility for absorbing details without curiosity.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
