mediocre

American  

[mee-dee-oh-ker] / ˌmi diˈoʊ kər /

adjective

1. 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

2. not satisfactory; poor; inferior.

   Mediocre construction makes that building dangerous.

   Synonyms:

   so-so, second-rate, low-quality, meager

   Antonyms:

   superior, excellent

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mediocre British  

/ ˈmiːdɪˌəʊkə, ˌmiːdɪˈəʊkə /

adjective

1. derogatory average or ordinary in quality

   a mediocre book

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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

The first part of the national licensure exam that determined residency placement has also been changed to pass/fail, further blurring the distinction between mediocre and excellent.

From The Wall Street Journal

They won the Europa League, but the true measure of a side is league position - and by that metric, Frank inherited a mediocre squad.

From BBC

Her performance was so mediocre, in fact, that Shiffrin and Johnson weren’t even the top Americans on Tuesday.

From The Wall Street Journal

But so what if I was a mediocre student?

From Literature

The biggest mystery involved in “Mercy” is not who killed Mrs. Raven but why a star with Mr. Pratt’s everyman charisma keeps choosing such mediocre projects.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• decent
• dull
• inferior
• middling
• ordinary
• second-rate
• so-so
• undistinguished
• uninspired