1
as in normality
the quality or state of being mediocre
She's a perfectionist who refuses to settle for mediocrity.
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2
as in nothing
a person of little fame
He surrounded himself with mediocrities to appear more notable by comparison.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mediocrity
No one familiar with the Islamic Republic will be surprised that the whole system was riddled with people who believed in nothing but their own enrichment and survival, and who achieved their exalted positions through mediocrity.
—
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2026
At what point does Erik Spoelstra and/or Pat Riley take responsibility for this streak of mediocrity?
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
That mindset allows mediocrity to masquerade as patience.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
Because the truth is the Kennedy Center, when considered as a piece of architecture, has long been renowned for its mediocrity.
—Christopher Robbins, Curbed, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mediocrity
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2026
At what point does Erik Spoelstra and/or Pat Riley take responsibility for this streak of mediocrity?
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
That mindset allows mediocrity to masquerade as patience.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
Because the truth is the Kennedy Center, when considered as a piece of architecture, has long been renowned for its mediocrity.
—Christopher Robbins, Curbed, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mediocrity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mediocrity
Noun
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Away from the track, Friedrich is a working police officer, adding an air of normality to an all-time great athlete.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026
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But after such an odd week to start F1’s on-track running in 2026, some normality will resume in two weeks at the first Bahrain test.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
When Dana, who, like Virginia, had been successful in writing pleasant but undistinguished nothings—in her case, songs for Billy Rose’s revues—decided to try taking on more serious music by studying with Boulanger, Virginia entered a deep downward spiral.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Jan. 2026
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Why did her mom press so hard for the littlest of nothings?—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
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But Chiat/Day considered their obscurity a feature, not a bug.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
But high-ranking officials have offered statements dripping with obscurity.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ultimately, the voters decide on acceptability.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
26 Feb. 2026
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The second difference is acceptability.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Terrestrial crustaceans are slow-moving compared to insects.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
12 Mar. 2026
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One of her favorite specimens was the rain beetle, a fuzzy scarab-like insect that can't feed as an adult, relying solely on fat stores from its larval stages.—
Christine Mai-Duc,
CBS News,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
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On one side, a satanic figure named Randall Flagg who gathers his forces of badness to Las Vegas; on the other, the good guys, led by 108-year-old Mother Abigail in, of all places, Boulder.—
Barbara Ellis,
Denver Post,
15 Jan. 2026
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The show premiered over Thanksgiving weekend, when people were tired and full and bored (and probably also horny), and countered our world’s unceasing badness with its world’s buoyant sweetness.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, his minions, so afraid of earning his wrath, have remained quiet.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026
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Ackie mostly barks orders at her minions to go get him, while Nighy in his home plays the bad guy demanding blood.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Metcalf and Pullman are both wonderful in their shuffling ordinariness, reenacting long-obsolete parental dynamics with a kind of rueful, hopeful denial.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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This is a childhood that had all its ordinariness burned out of it by the linking of even seemingly trivial gestures (an offering of candy, a bath, a swim, the dust in a corner of a room) to an entire array of physical and mental agonies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mediocrity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mediocrity. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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