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 On paper, the Brewers will pose a significantly tougher challenge than the Chicago Cubs’ mediocre staff. — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026 The main downside is mediocre image quality due to limited color coverage and modest brightness, which largely limits it to lower-impact tasks like working with office documents and viewing web pages and short videos. — Tony Hoffman, PC Magazine, 26 Sep. 2026 With mercurial, mediocre Baylor leading 13-6 to start the fourth quarter, CU responded by rushing the ball on six of its first seven plays to open the stanza. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2026 Get safety play right, and a mediocre defense suddenly looks like Mensa members in cleats. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 25 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
  • Motorists were able to get around alright within individual cities and towns, but there was no decent network connecting them.
    — Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The defense is elite, the team has a decent schedule, and the offense is ranked 12th in the NFL in yards per game.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of decent
Adjective
  • Disease that has spread to those organs is associated with poorer treatment outcomes.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
  • They were frustrated with teacher shortages and poor conditions at schools, including overcrowded classrooms and dilapidated buildings.
    — James Cirrone , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • Why not, then, return to 2016 spending amounts which seemed satisfactory at the time?
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Harriot quickly found a convenient formula for how many were arranged in a square pyramid based on the number in the bottom row and was able to present Raleigh with a satisfactory solution.
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of satisfactory
Adjective
  • The bat lay on its back, soggy and wretched, here in the waning hours of this terrible day.
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • An ugly fight between teammates during training camp was a terrible start to a season that officially began with a loss against North Carolina, a game in Dublin that TCU essentially sold, against the desires of Dykes.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • The Signature 27 is a new take on flagship smartphones from Motorola, leaving behind the middling legacy of the Edge series.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The middling sound quality and ANC are disappointing, if not unexpected at such a low price.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of middling
Adjective
  • For context, the 27-inch ELF-SR2 sells for around ¥550,000 in Japan, so this is a dramatically cheaper way into Sony's 3D ecosystem, landing in the same ballpark as the $299 Looking Glass Go.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 5 Nov. 2026
  • This year’s conflict has shown the relative ease with which cheap drones can slip past some of the world’s most expensive air defense systems and hit pipelines, ports, and ships.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of cheap
Adjective
  • When a family is one ordinary bill from the edge, its backup plan is sleeping in the car.
    — Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The Ohio State University In ordinary air, oxygen molecules settle onto the sensor surfaces and draw electrons away from the material, increasing its electrical resistance.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 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 6 Nov. 2026.

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