middling

1 of 2

adjective

mid·​dling ˈmid-liŋ 

-lən

1

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

2

: mediocre, second-rate

a middling performance

The food was fair to middling. [=not especially good]

3

: of, relating to, or being a middle class

middling adverb

middlingly

ˈmid-liŋ-lē 

-lən-

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

Synonyms of middling

Adjective

• average
• median

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

Those might come in handy since what happened Friday night at Petco Park was more like what a team with a bottom-10 offense and a middling pitching staff could be expected to look like. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026

After needing to take part in the NBA’s play-in tournament in each of the last four seasons, recording one playoff win in the last three seasons and missing the playoffs this season for the first time since 2019, the Miami Heat wants to escape this middling era. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026

Noun

Then, the Cubs have opened the season with a 27.8% strikeout rate, .204 average and middling .302 wOBA against lefties, per Fangraphs. —Juan Carlos Blanco, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2026

After no preseason expectations and middling starts through five weeks, Seattle and New England both finished the regular season at 14-3. —Scott Phillips, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1543, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing middling

• fair to middling

Kids Definition

middling

1 of 2 adjective

mid·​dling ˈmid-liŋ 

-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