middling

American  

[mid-ling] / ˈmɪd lɪŋ /

adjective

1. medium, moderate, or average in size, quantity, or quality.

   The returns on such a large investment may be only middling.

2. mediocre; ordinary; commonplace; pedestrian.

   The restaurant's entrées are no better than middling.

3. Older Use. in fairly good health.

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adverb

1. moderately; fairly.

noun

1. middlings, any of various products or commodities of intermediate quality, grade, size, etc., as the coarser particles of ground wheat mingled with bran.

2. Also called middling meat.  Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. Often middlings salt pork or smoked side meat.

middling British  

/ ˈmɪdlɪŋ /

adjective

1. mediocre in quality, size, etc; neither good nor bad, esp in health (often in the phrase fair to middling )

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adverb

1. informal moderately

   middling well

middling Idioms  

1. see fair to middling.

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Other Word Forms

• middlingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of middling

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English (north) medlinge (present participle) “coming between, middle”; mid ¹, -ling ²

Example Sentences

But then, what does such recognition mean in an industry where original storytelling and concepts are diminished or obscured by mountains of middling?

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

“Meanwhile, everyone is observing that Iran has, at best, a middling military capability—and the Americans can’t take them out,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Samson is not the kind of batter who would consistently chip in with middling scores.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

Colonel Parker, Elvis’s manager, kept his cash cow on a leash, tethering him first to middling B-pictures, then to casinos.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

On the right was a nondescript gentleman of middling age, height, and handsomeness.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• mediocre
• passable
• run-of-the-mill
• so-so