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Synonyms

so-so

American  
[soh-soh, soh-soh] / ˈsoʊˌsoʊ, ˈsoʊˈsoʊ /
Or so so

adjective

  1. Also soso indifferent; neither very good nor very bad.

    Synonyms:
    passable, average, ordinary, fair, mediocre

adverb

  1. in an indifferent or passable manner; indifferently; tolerably.

so-so British  

adjective

  1. (postpositive) neither good nor bad

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. in an average or indifferent manner

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of so-so

First recorded in 1520–30

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.

Consumer spending, meanwhile, was just so-so in January.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

Energy’s outperformance is particularly interesting because the sector’s near-term prospects are just so-so.

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

The product of an upper-middle-class family and a so-so college, nose perennially pressed to the window—and to the grindstone—she is a workhorse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

Its actual meaning is unclear, though some say it means "so-so" or "maybe this, maybe that".

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025

Did just so-so on the whole faith thing.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

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.