mediocre

Not excellent or outstanding, usually disappointingly so.

Adjective

  1. Not excellent or outstanding, usually disappointingly so.
    • I'm pretty good at tennis but only mediocre at racquetball.
    • The standard ranges from runs that are almost sensational in the speed and brilliance of the work to the ultra-mediocre. - 1959 June 5, O. S. Nock, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine,...
    • The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. - 1968, William Arthur Ward, Thoughts of a Christian Optimist, Droke House:

    Synonyms: common commonplace ordinary

    Antonyms: great distinguished exceptional outstanding remarkable peculiar ace admirable amazing awe-inspiring awesome badass bang on bang-up studly based beatific beneship bitching blissful bomb brilliant bully celestial

Origin

From the late Middle English medioker, from the French médiocre, from the Middle French médiocre, from the Classical Latin mediocris (“in a middle state”, “of middle size”, “middling”, “moderate”, “ordinary”, from medius (“middle”) + ocris (“rugged mountain”)); compare mediocrely and mediocrity.

Forms

more mediocre most mediocre mediocer médiocre

Synonyms

average comme ci comme ça crappy decent indifferent lackluster meh mediocre mid middling no great shakes nothing to write home about not worth writing home about okayish ordinary pedestrian unexceptional uninspiring shitty so-so tolerable whatever

Antonyms

A-grade awesome bad excellent good grade-A satisfactory wonderful

Hypernyms

intermediate

Hyponyms

C-grade second-rate third-rate

Related

mean median mediate mediation mediator mediocrely mediocrity medium common boring

Derived

mediocracy mediocreness mediocrist submediocre

Noun

  1. A person of minor significance, accomplishment or acclaim; a common and undistinguished person.
    • Of the hundreds of inferior poets, who are continually offering their sonnets and addresses to the Moon, (or to the public instead of that luminary,) Wade, Barton, Wiffen, and Bailey, are the most conspicuous. Wade is a...
    • After this lecture, how do the mediocres feel? They probably feel indifferent or mad. Perhaps they were not even paying attention. The question is, are they more likely to be in the hallway tomorrow? Probably not. -...

    Antonyms: great

  2. A member of a socioeconomic class between the upper ranks of society and the agricultural workers.

Forms

mediocres mediocer médiocre