mixed bag

noun

1

: a miscellaneous collection : assortment

2

: one having both positive and negative qualities or aspects

his performance was a mixed bag

Synonyms

• agglomerate
• agglomeration
• alphabet soup
• assortment
• botch
• clutter
• collage
• crazy quilt
• farrago
• gallimaufry
• grab bag
• gumbo
• hash
• hodgepodge
• hotchpotch
• jambalaya
• jumble
• jungle
• litter
• macédoine
• medley
• mélange
• menagerie
• miscellanea
• miscellany
• mishmash
• montage
• motley
• muddle
• olio
• olla podrida
• omnium-gatherum
• pastiche
• patchwork
• patchwork quilt
• potpourri
• ragbag
• ragout
• rummage
• salad
• salmagundi
• scramble
• shuffle
• smorgasbord
• stew
• tumble
• variety
• welter

Examples of mixed bag in a Sentence

His performance was a mixed bag.

a mixed bag of professional astronomers and amateur enthusiasts attended the conference

Recent Examples on the Web

Thanks to the 2023 Hollywood strikes, the only movie released by Marvel this year was the hit Deadpool & Wolverine which was accompanied by a mixed bag of streaming shows. —Caroline Reid, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024

Most of Nord’s user base is centered in the U.S. and spans a wide age range, while the rest of its customers are a mixed bag of average internet users and small and medium-sized businesses. —Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 30 Sep. 2024

Driving the news: Experts warn that most swing states' vote counting and certification procedures could again extend beyond Election Day, despite a mixed bag of rule changes. —Erin Doherty, Axios, 17 Sep. 2024

The fervor with which people have speculated about what Swift would do is striking, considering that celebrity political endorsements appear to be a mixed bag with relatively narrow effects. —Constance Grady, Vox, 12 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1