mediocre

adjective

ˌmē-dē-ˈō-kər How to pronounce mediocre (audio)
Definition of mediocrenext
1
as in decent
of average to below average quality your grades are mediocre and barely acceptable

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poor
of low quality mediocre carvings in a pseudo-African style that are sold to tourists

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mediocre Get safety play right, and a mediocre defense suddenly looks like Mensa members in cleats. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2026 Being mediocre in the American League kept most teams in the postseason hunt, but the Royals couldn’t even manage that. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026 The mediocre male algorithm is probably all up in arms about it. — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026 An offensive line that often didn’t measure up against a mediocre defense (Maxx Crosby and a couple of others aside). — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mediocre
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mediocre
  1. decent
  2. poor
  3. satisfactory
  4. terrible
  5. middling
  6. cheap
  7. ordinary
  8. inferior
Adjective
  • The role of a legitimate people’s government is to level the playing field between the billionaires and the rest of us who are just trying to provide ourselves with decent, dignified lives and get ahead.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Like any decent strength coach, Potts and his staff hold their athletes to the consistent standard of challenging themselves.
    — PJ Green October 14, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of decent
Adjective
  • Europe is expected to have a particularly poor corn harvest and needs larger imports just as its demand for feed remains high.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Reese is known as a poor shooter, and is often mocked for missing easy shots in games.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • An uninterrupted trip Stoliker thinks chaos is not a satisfactory explanation for psychedelics’ effect on the brain.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 10 Oct. 2026
  • After months of negotiations failed to yield a satisfactory agreement, the union approved strike action earlier this month in a vote held in tandem with unions at the Brooklyn Museum and American Folk Art Museum.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of satisfactory
Adjective
  • And then none of it mattered because his special teams bailed him out with a big kick return (thanks to a terrible decision by Eagles coach Nick Sirianni to even allow a kick return in the first place) followed by a walk-off field goal.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The story follows the transformation of Adriana (Colin), a woman shattered by a terrible murder and who discovers the strength to start over, driven by an unquenchable thirst for justice.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • But some of that is surely on the fact the Browns offensive line has been inconsistent, coach Todd Monken's offense is a work in progress and the running game is middling.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This isn’t entirely surprising given how middling reviews for the film have been.
    — Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of middling
Adjective
  • Investors now see access to cheap and reliable power as a precondition for European companies to compete long-term.
    — Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Telehealth sites hit their first jackpot in the 2010s, when Viagra and other drugs for erectile dysfunction came off patent, allowing for the sale of cheaper generics.
    — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of cheap
Adjective
  • Withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income, and early withdrawals may face penalties unless they’re used for qualifying expenses such as education or a first home, so families should review the tax rules before deciding how to use the money.
    — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The filmmakers bill it as a film less about cracking a murder than about the ordinary days that come after a devastating loss.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of ordinary
Adjective
  • The idea is to sound like an inferior buck in the brush, one that is roaming around a mature deer’s space and getting on his nerves.
    — Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Only 272 yards, at home, against a UCLA team that unquestionably has inferior talent?
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of inferior

Browse Nearby Words

medieval
mediocre
mediocrities
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Cite this Entry

“Mediocre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mediocre. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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