garden-variety

adjective

gar·​den-va·​ri·​e·​ty ˈgär-dᵊn-və-ˈrī-ə-tē 

: ordinary, commonplace

Synonyms of garden-variety

• normal
• ordinary
• usual
• typical
• average

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

Not everything Richards played was your garden-variety, risk-averse sideways pass. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 13 June 2026

But peppered in between the back-and-forth comments with garden-variety Internet trolls are criticisms of his onetime colleagues. — Gregory Royal Pratt, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026

Maybe this design is a percentage point or two more efficient than a garden-variety turbo-four. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 22 Apr. 2026

All of which might be dismissed as garden-variety conspiracy, not to mention being beyond the organizational capacity of the Democratic Party. — Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for garden-variety

• contrariety
• impropriety
• inebriety
• notoriety
• antianxiety
• intersociety
• anxiety
• impiety
• propriety
• satiety
• sobriety
• society

Kids Definition

garden-variety

adjective

: ordinary entry 2 sense 2, commonplace

not the flu, just a garden-variety cold