borderline

adjective bor·der·line \ -ˌlīn \

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

1 a : being in an intermediate position or state : not fully classifiable as one thing or its opposite

a borderline state between waking and sleeping

b : not quite up to, typical of, or as severe as what is usual, standard, or expected

borderline intelligence

borderline hypertension

c : characterized by psychological instability in several areas (such as interpersonal relations, behavior, and identity) but only with brief or no psychotic episodes

a borderline personality disorder

2 : situated at or near a border

a borderline town

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borderline

noun

See borderline defined for English-language learners

See borderline defined for kids

Examples of borderline in a Sentence

In borderline cases like these, the best course of action is difficult to determine.
As a borderline diabetic, Lara is able to control her blood sugar levels solely through diet.

Recent Examples of borderline from the Web

The Masters policy on no cell phones is excessive and borderline strange.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Can we do it all over again this week? Masters, March Madness, spring training are done.," 10 Apr. 2018
One of them happens to be borderline psychotic and morally malignant, but then, if Villanelle wasn’t good at her job, Eve would have no chance to excel at hers.

— rachel syme, The New Republic, "In Killing Eve, Two Women Are Fed Up and Dangerous," 6 Apr. 2018
The takeaway from all this is that the new iPad isn’t going to be any easier to repair than prior generations, which were already borderline unrepairable.

— jacob kastrenakes, The Verge, "Schools won’t like how difficult the new iPad is to repair," 3 Apr. 2018
Counselors usually advise student-athletes to retake the test if the scores are borderline.

— richard obert, azcentral, "Recruiting FAQ: Important steps to take to get a football scholarship," 2 Apr. 2018
The New Orleans Pelicans pull off a borderline miracle by beating San Antonio on the road Wednesday night.

— larry holder, NOLA.com, "Thursday's 'Dunc & Holder:' Pelicans stun Spurs; what's next with Zach Strief and Kenny Vaccaro?," 1 Mar. 2018
The atmosphere is borderline cold enough that wet snow could mix in, especially north and west of the Beltway.

— david streit, Washington Post, "D.C.-area forecast: Springlike warmth blossoms today but temperatures slip back Easter weekend," 29 Mar. 2018
There would be times when a customer said something that was borderline inappropriate.

— tara duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, "Oakland restaurant devises system to combat customers’ harassment of workers," 29 Mar. 2018
Michigan point guard Zavier Simpson’s struggles at the free-throw line are borderline bizarre.

— ed barkowitz, Philly.com, "Fifty things about the Final Four includes facts, figures, Bob Hope, Saving Private Ryan," 29 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'borderline.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of borderline

1907

borderline Synonyms

borderline

adverb

: almost, nearly

borderline tacky

borderline suicidal

See borderline defined for English-language learners

Examples of borderline in a Sentence

The movie is only borderline funny.
your answer was borderline rude, so I would advise you to be more diplomatic in the future

Recent Examples of borderline from the Web

In the middle of this, I was tested for gestational diabetes, and the result came back borderline.

— The Cut, "The Mom Who Faced the Odds of Getting Pregnant at 44," 14 Sep. 2017
There’s no doubting the existence and growing popularity online of conspiratorial—and borderline demented—commentary on Russia.

— jeet heer, New Republic, "No, Liberals Are Not Falling for Conspiracy Theories Just Like Conservatives Do," 23 May 2017

First Known Use of borderline

1925

borderline Synonyms

Synonyms

about, all but, almost, fairly, more or less, most, much, near, nearly, next to, nigh, practically, somewhere, virtually, well-nigh;

Near Antonyms

absolutely, altogether, completely, entirely, fully, plain, quite, thoroughly;

totally, utterly, well, wholly;

barely, hardly, scarcely;

kind of, partially, partly, somewhat;

Phrases

as good as, just about, pretty much, within an inch of;

BORDERLINE Defined for English Language Learners

borderline

adjective

: having some but not all characteristics of something
: not quite as severe as what is usual or expected
: existing at or near a border

borderline

adverb

: almost or nearly

BORDERLINE Defined for Kids

borderline

adjective bor·der·line \ ˈbȯr-dər-ˌlīn \

: not quite average, standard, or normal

She's a borderline student for advanced math.

Medical Dictionary

borderline

adjective bor·der·line \ -ˌlīn \

1 : being in an intermediate position or state : not fully classifiable as one thing or its opposite; especially : not quite up to what is usual, standard, or expected