mediocre

me·di·o·cre

adjective \ˌmē-dē-ˈō-kər\

Definition of MEDIOCRE

: of moderate or low quality, value, ability, or performance : ordinary, so-so

Examples of MEDIOCRE

1. The dinner was delicious, but the dessert was mediocre.
2. The carpenter did a mediocre job.
3. The critics dismissed him as a mediocre actor.
4. They sensed that mediocre students like Roosevelt really did possess a set of virtues that needed to be protected and cherished. —David Brooks, New York Times Book Review, 6 Nov. 2005
5. Of course, it could be that what Wesley has been through steeled his nerves and transformed him from a mediocre point guard into one of the fiercest shooters in the league with the game on the line. —Chad Millman, ESPN, 14 May 2001
6. In short, they'd have to build a first-rate health-care system out of the shantytown's mediocre one—a system that would administer those drugs reliably and keep the patients' spirits up, because the second-line drugs are weak and have unpleasant side effects, which a patient has to endure for as much as two years. —Tracy Kidder, New Yorker, 10 July 2000

Origin of MEDIOCRE

Middle French, from Latin mediocris, from medius middle + Old Latin ocris stony mountain; akin to Latin acer sharp — more at edge

First Known Use: circa 1586

Related to MEDIOCRE

Synonyms

common, fair, indifferent, medium, middling, ordinary, passable, run-of-the-mill, run-of-the-mine (or run-of-mine), second-class, second-rate, so-so

Antonyms

excellent, fine, first-class, first-rate, good, high-grade, superior, top-notch

Related Words

acceptable, adequate, all right, alright, decent, OK (or okay), reasonable, satisfactory, sufficient, sufficing, tolerable; moderate, modest; presentable, respectable; minimal, unexceptional; fine, good, nice

Near Antonyms

A1, capital, choice, classic, distinguished, excellent, exceptional, exquisite, fabulous, fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, marvelous (or marvellous), matchless, maximum, nifty, number one (also No. 1), optimal, optimum, outstanding, par excellence, peerless, preeminent, prime, sensational, special, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supreme, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch; unmatched, unparalleled, unsurpassed; deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, wanting

Rhymes with MEDIOCRE

honest broker, power broker, red-hot poker, yellow ocher