middling

adjective

mid·dling | \ ˈmid-liŋ

, -lən\

Definition of middling

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of middle, medium, or moderate size, degree, or quality

2 : mediocre, second-rate

3 : of, relating to, or being a middle class

middling

noun

Definition of middling (Entry 2 of 2)

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

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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

The movie’s trajectory may recall 2018, when Green Book debuted to middling reviews and won Toronto’s biggest honor on the way to an Oscar for Best Picture. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "Jojo Rabbit, Joker, and 5 More Movies to Look For This Fall," 16 Sep. 2019 After relatively middling starts to the year, given the preseason expectations heaped upon both teams, the Bulldogs and Fighting Irish are rounding into form. — Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, "Winners and losers from Week 3 in college football are led by Notre Dame and Georgia," 13 Sep. 2019 The middling finish allowed Simon Pagenaud to pass Rossi for the No. 2 spot in the points chase. — Tyler Kraft, Indianapolis Star, "Ferrucci's oval prowess has him in prime position for Rookie of the Year. Will it last?," 25 Aug. 2019 In the second game of the match, Auger-Aliassime sent down a middling serve right into the strike zone of Pospisil’s backhand; the toss and follow-through of his service motion carried him far into the court. — Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, "Félix Auger-Aliassime Is Trying to Stay Calm," 24 Aug. 2019 Leach is an Air Raid originator who has elevated middling programs with an extreme approach. — Michael Lev, azcentral, "Running back still at heart of Arizona, Pac-12 offenses," 22 Aug. 2019 Fox Searchlight +Focus Features + Paramount Pictures As anyone with eyeballs and even a middling interest in pop culture knows, women are naked on-screen *way* more than men. — Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, "Embrace the Female Gaze: 18 Times Male Actors Did Full-Frontal on Screen," 21 Aug. 2019 The result of all this has been an open polarization of Mexican society, and a middling economy. — Rafael Romo, CNN, "Mexico's president is just beginning his 'Fourth Transformation' of the country," 16 Aug. 2019 Last week’s 3-1 win against the middling Colorado Rapids attracted 17,762. — Nick Eilerson, SFChronicle.com, "Revitalized San Jose Earthquakes ride MLS’ surging wave of Latin American talent," 2 Aug. 2019

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