middling

1 of 2

adjective

mid·​dling ˈmid-liŋ How to pronounce middling (audio)
-lən
1
: of middle, medium, or moderate size, degree, or quality
2
3
: of, relating to, or being a middle class
middling adverb
middlingly adverb

middling

2 of 2

noun

1
: any of various commodities of intermediate size, quality, or position
2
middlings plural in form but singular or plural in construction : a granular product of grain milling
especially : a wheat milling by-product used in animal feeds

Examples of middling in a Sentence

Adjective tired of the city but not particularly interested in small-town life, he moved to a suburb of middling size was disappointed in the renowned historian's latest book, which is only middling
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Biden's approval ratings are middling, and dissatisfaction with him from some wings of his party was evident again Tuesday night. Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Despite middling reviews, the film has quickly proven to be a blockbuster, crossing $100 million at the worldwide box office in just 10 days and earning the biggest opening day for a film in Jamaica, as per Deadline. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2024 Recent middling performances against the Packers and Lions have folks forgetting that stat. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2024 The Taste of Things is unapologetically European, but middling reviews can’t negate the film’s exquisite connection of Dodin and Eugénie’s expertise to everyone’s innate desire to love and create. Armond White, National Review, 9 Feb. 2024 There have been a few losses to bad or middling teams during this skid, but Thursday’s defeat came at the hands of an elite opponent with the Celtics holding the NBA’s top record at 35-10. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 26 Jan. 2024 Tilleman isn’t dissuaded by the middling levels of support for government intervention in the U.S. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 24 Feb. 2024 But in achieving them, Francis was working against a technology that, used unthinkingly, would have changed her skin tone into a middling gray — the skin tone, say, of a white model with a nice tan. Blake Gopnik, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 The coach lived up to those words in his departure from the school that continually supported him despite his middling results. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024
Noun
Even with a nice win Tuesday, the Warriors’ middling and chaotic start to this campaign has left no reasonable doubt — the Warriors are in an era of transition, with all the counterbalancing ups and downs that will come along with it. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 3 Jan. 2024 Underway, the Compass remains relatively composed when leaned on, delivering a middling 0.81 g of grip from its 225/60R-17 Firestone Destination LE2 all-season rubber. David Beard, Car and Driver, 22 June 2023 More recent investments by other tech companies into VR experiences — sometimes called the metaverse — have generally been regarded as middling at best. Sara Ruberg, NBC News, 5 June 2023 Wakanda Forever’s two-hour and 41-minute run time, its middling-to-positive reviews, and the absence of original star Chadwick Boseman, who imbued his titular role as Black Panther/King T’Challa with regal swagger and a stately decorum not commonly associated with comic-book movies. Vulture, 14 Nov. 2022 Sainristil and the defense will be tasked with stopping one of the best QB-receiver tandems in the country — TCU’s Max Duggan and Quentin Johnston — while Zinter and Mullings look to take advantage of the Horned Frogs’ middling defense. Amin Touri, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Dec. 2022 Perhaps even worse are the optics, Kingsbury's offense middling at best amid underachieving QB Kyler Murray's constant ranting at his coach and teammates during games. Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 18 Nov. 2022 The margin between contending and middling is razor-thin. Jonas Shaffer, Baltimore Sun, 20 Oct. 2022 Despite the Broncos middling season overall, Monday’s matchup should be entertaining. Ian Firstenberg, Chicago Tribune, 17 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'middling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of middling was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near middling

Cite this Entry

“Middling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middling. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

middling

1 of 2 adjective
mid·​dling ˈmid-liŋ How to pronounce middling (audio)
-lən
: of medium size, degree, or quality
middling adverb

middling

2 of 2 noun
1
: any of various products of medium quality or size
2
plural : a product produced by milling grain
especially : a product of wheat milling that is used in animal feeds

More from Merriam-Webster on middling

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