borderline

[ bawr-der-lahyn ]

/ ˈbɔr dərˌlaɪn /

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See synonyms for: borderline / borderlines on Thesaurus.com

Definition of borderline

adjective

on or near a border or boundary.

having an uncertain, indeterminate, or debatable status: He was a borderline case for admission to the program—please encourage him to apply again next year.

not quite meeting accepted, expected, or average standards: Discover specific how-to strategies for turning a borderline student into a confident achiever.

approaching bad taste or obscenity: He made several borderline remarks that offended them.

noun

Also bor·der line.

a border or boundary: The town of Tiverton, Rhode Island, rests on the once-disputed Massachusetts borderline.
a notional dividing line: Often the borderline between safety and toxicity is very small, and every year thousands of fish die as a consequence of chemical overdosing.

a person with borderline personality disorder.

OTHER WORDS FOR borderline

2 doubtful, precarious, unsure.

3 marginal.

See synonyms for borderline on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of borderline

First recorded in 1865–70; border + line¹

Words nearby borderline

borderer, borderland, Border Leicester, borderless, border light, borderline, borderline personality disorder, Borders, Borders Region, Border States, border tax

How to use borderline in a sentence

But, according to Wolfe, the manager said her posts in general were “borderline” and that other Times staffers had done “worse.”
‘It’s a shot at my reputation’: Lauren Wolfe reacts to NYT’s statement about her dismissal|Erik Wemple|January 26, 2021|Washington Post
The idea that he could play until age 45 has gone from borderline crazy to probable.
NFL QBs’ second acts have often failed. As usual, Tom Brady is ready to defy the odds.|Eric Adelson|January 6, 2021|Washington Post
The strain on capacity could lead to worse outcomes particularly for people whose conditions are borderline—not so critical that they must be admitted immediately, but not so mild that they wouldn’t benefit from hospital care.
Nearly twice as many Americans are hospitalized right now with COVID-19 than in spring|Rachel King|December 22, 2020|Fortune
What I saw makes me believe that it would be borderline impossible to rig a small local election, let alone a statewide vote.
A Pennsylvania poll worker explains the painstaking process of counting votes|Kyle Brashear|November 12, 2020|Vox

They let you automatically tweak pictures of a human face in some impressive—and sometimes borderline disturbing—ways.
Photoshop’s Neural Filters can alter people’s expressions in convincing—and nightmarish—ways|Stan Horaczek|October 22, 2020|Popular-Science
Vasquez, who has borderline ID, was exonerated in 1989, four years after his conviction.
How the U.S. Justice System Screws Prisoners with Disabilities|Elizabeth Picciuto|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Family and friends describe her as highly dedicated to her job, if not borderline workaholic.
The Mystery Death Of A Female Firefighter|Christopher Moraff|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The pair carried on their “work” relationship as borderline transients.
The Navy ‘Hero’ Who Pimped an HIV-Positive Teen|M.L. Nestel|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their relationships with each other range from conciliatory to borderline antagonistic.
Welcome to Assadville, USA|Christopher Moraff|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their borderline baseline distaste for a person they did not know had become a sport, and the off season was finally over.
Do We Still Hate Anne Hathaway?|Kevin Fallon|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This valley extends for approximately three hundred and fifty miles to the borderline of Tennessee.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
This action provided Virginians with knowledge of the type of terrain and its potentiality along this important borderline.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
If there were a borderline along which Lassans were meeting humans in any kind of conflict it was most likely to lie southward.
The Onslaught from Rigel|Fletcher Pratt
Free land was receding at railroad speed, the borderline could be overtaken only by steam, and every man was in haste to arrive.
A Son of the Middle Border|Hamlin Garland
We know what a thin borderline separates normal people from—from you.
Accidental Flight|Floyd L. Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for borderline

borderline

/ (ˈbɔːdəˌlaɪn) /

noun

a border; dividing line; line of demarcation

an indeterminate position between two conditions or qualitiesthe borderline between friendship and love

adjective

on the edge of one category and verging on anothera borderline failure in the exam

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

borderline

Definition of borderline

OTHER WORDS FOR borderline

Origin of borderline

Words nearby borderline

Words related to borderline

How to use borderline in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for borderline