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 Top to bottom, however, the Big Ten might be a bit more mediocre than expected. — Austin Meek, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 The Jets’ offense has ranged from mediocre to downright awful during his time with the team. — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 10 Sep. 2026 At roughly 44 times earnings, Costco needs to execute, and another mediocre quarter would force us to reconsider our holding. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026 But a feel-good season, with gradual improvement rooted in process and preparation leading to mediocre results, won’t cut it for a program desperate for tangible success and the pieces in place to achieve it. — Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mediocre

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mediocre

Adjective

While the price can be inhibiting for some — with chef pants priced as high as $190 and jackets as much as $210, the price of a decent knife or other cooking tools — Argoti feels the heavy usage justifies the cost for him.

— Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
The other was a decent man constantly being tormented by God in order to test his faith.

— Chuck Lorre, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of decent

Adjective

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
The effort displayed by Kansas’ 14 men’s basketball players at Bill Self’s 24th annual Boot Camp proved satisfactory to the Hall of Fame Jayhawks coach.

— Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of satisfactory

Adjective

Platforms prefill a name, email and phone number so a user can submit in one tap without leaving the feed, which is wonderful for a consumer promotion and terrible for a six-figure investment.

— Jonathan Durante, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Saddled with terrible reviews and negative word-of-mouth, Tom Cruise‘s absurdist dark comedy has cratered at the box office with $8 million in North America and $20 million globally in its first weekend of release.

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of terrible

Adjective

Bakker was a middling student, but did exhibit an early interest in showbiz and a talent for salesmanship.

— Tim Funk, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026
Hilton, who polls show down 20% or more, said Sacramento Democrats were at fault for California’s high prices and middling outcomes on issues like homelessness.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of middling

Adjective

Amazon’s two cheaper models also come in child-friendly versions tailored to whether your child is between three and five, or six and 12.

— James Peckham, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026
The audience is full of young people — the revival has continued the original production’s commitment to offering cheap day-of tickets — many of whom have strong connections to the material.

— Ellise Shafer, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

Once considered an ordinary metal, it was found in 2019 to become superconducting below about 2 kelvins.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
Things that seem strange or even barbaric to us today were sometimes considered perfectly ordinary at another point in history.

— Jim Dudlicek, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of ordinary

Adjective

After years of looking inferior to its Western brethren, the NBA’s Eastern Conference is enjoying a renaissance, galvanized by a steady influx of talent and the relocation of star players to new teams.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026
Brandon put up big numbers against inferior opponents, but struggled against Texas and Auburn, and Heupel clearly doesn’t see this as a development year for his team.

— Seth Emerson, New York Times, 4 Oct. 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 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of mediocre

adjective

Example Sentences

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