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
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”; see origin at mid 1
Explanation
Mediocre is an adjective that means "merely adequate" or "of only ordinary quality." A "C" is a mediocre grade for students who are fair to middling. The roots of the adjective mediocre are from the Latin medial, "middle," and ocris, "mountain." If you think about it, the middle of a mountain is neither up nor down and neither here nor there — just somewhere in between. The definition of mediocre is "of ordinary quality," "merely adequate," and "average." Another word that shares the same root is mediocracy, which means "government run by mediocre people" — an all-too-common condition.
Vocabulary lists containing mediocre
List 6
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National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 2
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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.
Harbaugh inherited a historically mediocre program and coached his team to a 29-6 record in three seasons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Communal existence had made him both mediocre and hostile to anything not mediocre.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
The question for investors is whether the mediocre outlook will cause the whole chip rally to grind to a halt.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
The bottom line: You can overcome many mediocre stock picks by holding for the long term.
From MarketWatch ● May 30, 2026
I had a splitting headache and a false smile plastered on my face and managed to give a mediocre performance.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
