happy medium

American

noun

a course of action or condition that is between two extremes.

Our climate is a happy medium between hot and cold.
a satisfactory compromise between two things that are related in such a way that one increases as the other decreases.

We need to find a happy medium between conserving land and developing property.

happy medium British

noun

a course or state that avoids extremes

"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

happy medium Idioms

The midway point between two extremes. For example, We need to find a happy medium between overdoing the holiday season and ignoring it entirely. This expression, first recorded in 1778, was once known as the golden mean and is based on ancient mathematical principles.

Etymology

Origin of happy medium

First recorded in 1615–25

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.

“I think there’s a happy medium, and they ought to strive for that.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

“The administration wants to find a happy medium there, whether it’s a nameplate or a badge number,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The mindset shift is to find a happy medium.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 9, 2026

How can we find a happy medium between the theater and the streaming release that lets us see the things we want without getting crushed by massive amounts of “content”?

From Salon • May 22, 2025

“My father would say ‘yes,’ Mr. Knightley ‘no;’ and Miss Bates and I that he is just the happy medium.

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023