MEDIOCRE Synonyms: 152 Similar and Opposite Words

mediocre

adjective

ˌmē-dē-ˈō-kər

Definition of mediocre

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

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 In years past, 100,000 new jobs a month would have been mediocre. — Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026 Historically, firms fully embracing MSV, like General Electric, often delivered mediocre long-term results and faced decline. — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 For the most part, this tax asymmetry triggers only mediocre productivity gains. — Daron Acemoglu, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026 But the design has always had real shortcomings—the most noticeable and serious being its mediocre battery life. — ArsTechnica, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mediocre

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mediocre

Adjective

Toure has been decent, too, flashing down the wing and firing in crosses.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Democrats had a decent night in Florida’s nonpartisan elections, led by their wins on the Sarasota County school board.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of decent

Adjective

On the other lies a park in one of the Bronx’s poorest communities, built on the site of the former Yankee Stadium after the old home of the Yankees was torn down in 2009 and 2010.

— Sam Blum, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Iran’s economy was in a dire state before the war too, with poor economic conditions a key driving factor behind the anti-regime demonstrations which kicked off in the Iranian capital city Tehran in 2025.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

By contrast, state inspection records from 2025 and the first weeks of 2026, just days after Calvo took office in January, show the city’s pool facilities were consistently rated satisfactory.

— Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026
For someone who is dogmatic, or has a strong commitment to evangelism, this may not be satisfactory.

— R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of satisfactory

Adjective

Teams don’t have to be much better than middling to sneak into October and hope to ride the variance of tournament baseball to a title.

— Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
Given the higher prices teams are willing to pay for talent midseason, and the middling return organizations receive if a player leaves in free agency, the Tigers faced a choice.

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of middling

Adjective

Brands like Slate and Ford are betting cheaper, smaller electric trucks can attract buyers priced out of larger pickups.

— Beth Livesay, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Beyond removing the psychological and practical barrier of injections, oral formulations are not reliant on syringes or refrigeration and are cheaper to manufacture.

— Perdita Nouril, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

Pay attention to ordinary pleasures, like a warm bed on a cold night, a good cup of coffee, or a brightly colored bird outside the window.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 18 Aug. 2026
Critics, however, said the effects of those macroeconomic improvements were not being felt by ordinary Zambians who were growing frustrated with a high cost of living and electricity shortages.

— Jacob Zimba, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of ordinary

Adjective

But those three road losses were either in the postseason to a top-two team, at Oregon or the inexplicable 2024 loss to a far inferior Michigan team in The Game.

— Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026
The main disagreement centers on what the union says are inferior pay scales compared with nonunion workers.

— A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of inferior

Browse Nearby Words

medieval

mediocre

mediocrities

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“Mediocre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mediocre. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of mediocre

adjective

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