mediocre
Americanadjective
-
of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate.
The car gets only mediocre mileage, but it's fun to drive.
- Synonyms:
- run-of-the-mill, everyday, pedestrian, commonplace, undistinguished
- Antonyms:
- incomparable, uncommon, superior, extraordinary
-
not satisfactory; poor; inferior.
Mediocre construction makes that building dangerous.
- Synonyms:
- so-so, second-rate, low-quality, meager
adjective
Other Word Forms
- submediocre adjective
- supermediocre adjective
Etymology
Origin of mediocre
First recorded in 1580–90; from Middle French, from Latin mediocris “in a middle state,” literally, “at middle height,” equivalent to medi(us) “center, middle” + Old Latin ocris “rugged mountain,” cognate with Greek ókris, akin to ákros “apex”; compare Umbrian ocar “hill, citadel”; mid 1
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.
Weeks later, employees were working late into the night revising AI-generated drafts, fixing errors, and pretending to be impressed by results they found mediocre.
From Barron's
I’ve actually gotten really comfortable in this space of everyone thinking that everything I do will be mediocre and me doing something better than that and them being surprised.
From Los Angeles Times
On the surface, it was a mediocre week for the stock market.
From Barron's
Artists from Beyonce on down are dragged “into unambiguous business roles, and pushing fans to spend their money, not just on media, but across a wide range of premium, mediocre commodities,” Marx writes.
From Los Angeles Times
But “no-brainer” takes on a dual meaning when it comes to “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” a laughably cheesy, empty-headed follow-up that makes the mediocre prior film shine in comparison.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
