middling

American  

[mid-ling] / ˈmɪd lɪŋ /

adjective

1. medium, moderate, or average in size, quantity, or quality.

   The returns on such a large investment may be only middling.

2. mediocre; ordinary; commonplace; pedestrian.

   The restaurant's entrées are no better than middling.

3. Older Use. in fairly good health.

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adverb

1. moderately; fairly.

noun

1. middlings, any of various products or commodities of intermediate quality, grade, size, etc., as the coarser particles of ground wheat mingled with bran.

2. Also called middling meat.  Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. Often middlings salt pork or smoked side meat.

middling British  

/ ˈmɪdlɪŋ /

adjective

1. mediocre in quality, size, etc; neither good nor bad, esp in health (often in the phrase fair to middling )

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adverb

1. informal moderately

   middling well

middling Idioms  

1. see fair to middling.

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Other Word Forms

• middlingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of middling

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English (north) medlinge (present participle) “coming between, middle”; see also mid ¹, -ling ²

Explanation

If something is middling, it isn't terrible and it isn't great — it's mediocre. You might describe your chances of beating your dad at tennis as middling. You'll frequently find this adjective in the phrase "fair to middling," or sometimes "good to middling." This American colloquialism has been used since the early 17th century to mean "slightly above average," and it originally referred to the quality of farm goods. Today you can use it to rate or grade anything, so you might say, "I thought this peach would be juicy and perfectly ripe, but it's fair to middling."

Example Sentences

But dig a little bit deeper, and it is a whole different story: Middling performance at the index level is masking chaotic swings churning just beneath the surface.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

After the ball, what public transportation did Cinderella take to get back to East Middling?

From Washington Post • Nov. 15, 2018

Middling novels, if they happen to paint the picture of the ordinary manners of American existence, do.

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2012

Middling authors are left to small imprints or to self-publish.

From Economist • May 3, 2012

The cotton used there is nearly all what is called "Middling American," the very kind which is now most scarce and dear.

From Home-Life of the Lancashire Factory Folk during the Cotton Famine by Waugh, Edwin

Related Words

• mediocre
• passable
• run-of-the-mill
• so-so