garden-variety

adjective

gar·​den-va·​ri·​e·​ty ˈgär-dᵊn-və-ˈrī-ə-tē How to pronounce garden-variety (audio)

Examples of garden-variety in a Sentence

the once-powerful hurricane eventually abated into just a garden-variety tropical storm the bakery's extravagant creations are not your garden-variety wedding cakes
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And yet, with this much interesting talent packed into one team, Chad Powers doesn’t quite sink to the level of a garden-variety disaster. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025 Faced with garden-variety brutal minutes rather than some of the toughest on record, Seider took a major step forward. The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025 Robert Redford was not your garden-variety celebrity. Peter Biskind, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025 Naturally, there were adolescent woes, but likely only of the garden-variety. Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2025 But he’s not motivated by garden-variety vengeance. Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 28 Aug. 2025 Its capabilities and autonomy present a potent enterprise threat vector beyond the realm of garden-variety security concerns. Pieter Danhieux, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025 Burroughs is more the traditional garden-variety American hack judge. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 25 July 2025 Here are the top stories from the Miami Herald about Alligator Alcatraz: Shortly after President Donald Trump left the brand new detention facility to hold immigrants in the middle of the Everglades, a garden-variety South Florida summer rainstorm started. Miami Herald, 4 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of garden-variety was in 1928

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Garden-variety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/garden-variety. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

garden-variety

adjective
: ordinary entry 2 sense 2, commonplace
not the flu, just a garden-variety cold
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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