so-so
Americanadjective
adverb
adjective
adverb
Etymology
Origin of so-so
First recorded in 1520–30
Explanation
When something is only okay or mediocre, it's so-so. If that new action movie had a few exciting scenes but an implausible plot and some uneven acting, you might say it was just so-so. So-so is perfect for describing things that fall right in between terrible and spectacular. A basketball season in which your team wins half the games and loses the other half is a so-so season. And a movie book that you didn't hate but wouldn't recommend to all of your friends is also so-so. In French you'd say "Comme çi comme ça," or "like this, like that," and in Swahili you might say "Nusu nusu," or "half and half."
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.
They went from so-so to absolutely unstoppable as head coach Mike Brown tweaked the offense—less dribbling, more cutting and passing—and Brunson morphed into one of the all-time clutch heroes of New York sports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
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
Seattle needs some stepped-up production from running back Kenneth Walker III, who was so-so in the championship game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2026
The school was strong in literature but just seemed so-so in creative writing.
From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos
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.
