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

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

From Literature

He rolled into Los Angeles with a reputation as a middling owner who would put a lukewarm product on the field.

From Los Angeles Times

Employers hired at a middling pace in December, closing out a year that saw the U.S. labor market cool into a “low hire, low fire” stasis.

From The Wall Street Journal

“He’d always say, ‘Take out Berkshire’s top five investments and its returns are pretty middling,’ ” says Montgomery, a lesson to the group that success can come from just a few winning moves.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Chiefs’ offense has shown signs of its explosive potential, but they own a middling 5-4 record.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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