run-of-the-mill

adjective

ˌrən-ə(v)-t͟hə-ˈmil 

: not outstanding in quality or rarity : average, ordinary

Synonyms of run-of-the-mill

• normal
• ordinary
• usual
• typical
• average

Examples of run-of-the-mill in a Sentence

just another run-of-the-mill suburb with its shopping malls and fast-food restaurants

his latest offering is rather run-of-the-mill for this usually excellent novelist

Recent Examples on the Web

Powerless even against the most run-of-the-mill villains, the men casually harassing her at the diner. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026

Life had changed drastically for all of them, naturally — there were now dealing with mortgages, children, marital strife, health issues, and your run-of-the-mill middle-age malaise. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2026

What first appears to be a run-of-the-mill Seattle rainstorm is soon revealed to be something more nefarious, as the apparently sentient precipitation seals everyone inside of their homes. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026

Had he been exposed to a more run-of-the-mill pneumonic plague, symptom onset would have already consigned him to bed. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for run-of-the-mill

• verapamil
• anthill
• backfill
• bluegill
• crossbill
• distil
• distill
• downhill
• dunghill
• foothill
• fulfil
• fulfill

Kids Definition

run-of-the-mill

adjective

ˌrən-ə(v)-t͟hə-ˈmil

: average entry 2 sense 2, ordinary