1
as in average
being about midway between extremes of amount or size
tired of the city but not particularly interested in small-town life, he moved to a suburb of middling size
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decent
of average to below average quality
was disappointed in the renowned historian's latest book, which is only middling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of middling
One of the reasons these kit-ranking articles usually work is, for the most part, there are typically enough good ones to gush over, enough middling ones to shrug about, and enough bad ones to have some slightly snidey fun in giving them a kicking.
—
Nick Miller, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Our tasters agreed that texture was a critical factor in differentiating a middling scoop from a great one.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 June 2026
Until the Heat gets real and welcomes Pat Riley or his way overdue replacement to the 21st century, the middling Heat will have an annual reservation at the NBA table of mediocrity.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026
Loser, for example, dragged Pop off middling ambient music but lacked the teeth of his tracks with Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for middling
Nick Miller, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Our tasters agreed that texture was a critical factor in differentiating a middling scoop from a great one.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 June 2026
Until the Heat gets real and welcomes Pat Riley or his way overdue replacement to the 21st century, the middling Heat will have an annual reservation at the NBA table of mediocrity.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 June 2026
Loser, for example, dragged Pop off middling ambient music but lacked the teeth of his tracks with Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for middling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middling
Adjective
-
Next year, these plans for retirees will increase on average by less than 1%.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
-
How heat can impact the body Typically, during extreme heat -- meaning temperatures are hotter or more humid than average -- the body tries to cool itself by sweating.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
There is still a decent spread amongst model guidance, but a track farther north would result in a better chance of severe weather, while a track farther south would lead to more general rain showers and thunderstorms.—
Trey Fulbright,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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Accompaniment assigns first priority to those in greatest need and those most likely to be left out of dignified and decent treatment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Wealth and power are tightly intertwined, and the median white household has a net worth 10 times the median Black household, a disparity that adds up to more than $10 trillion.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2026
-
Today, two families earning 30% or less of Boise’s area median income — $33,200 for a family of four — lease the homes behind the church.—
Mark Dee
June 19,
Idaho Statesman,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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The game was pretty mediocre aside from the very beginning and the very end, when Qatar’s injury-time equalizer was met with a shocked wave of sound from the large lawn, but again, no one really seemed to mind.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Usually bad Red Sox teams tend to have good to mediocre lineups and poor pitching and defense.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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Hand-rolled with tobaccos grown higher than 3,500 feet above sea level on Plasencia’s Finca San Julián in Condega, the cigar has a café con crema aroma and medium-plus flavors of grass and leather, accented by a natural sweetness locked into the higher-elevation leaves.—
Richard Carleton Hacker,
Robb Report,
19 June 2026
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The new variant is tailored to launch medium-class satellites at lower cost than the heavier version of the H3 with two or four strap-on boosters.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
Iran hawks and an array of dissidents and mainstream voices within the Republican Party have cast doubt on whether the agreement secured satisfactory concessions from Iran.—
Matthew Kelly
Updated June 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
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In several tweets shared to X on Monday, June 15, the 44-year-old former professional soccer player called out the company for allegedly delaying a flight and not resolving the issue in a satisfactory manner.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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The company’s founders say the idea came from watching ordinary people struggle to access opportunities that increasingly depended on technical knowledge.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
Late Thursday, the plaintiffs filed a motion asking the court to order the Pentagon to resume its ordinary review process for new wind energy projects.—
Jennifer McDermott,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Alex Lock, a communications officer at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, asked people to resist feeling indifferent.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
My brother knew of my plot but remained indifferent as grief took hold.—
Griffin Dunne,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Middling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middling. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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