1
as in average
being about midway between extremes of amount or size
tired of the city but not particularly interested in small-town life, he moved to a suburb of middling size
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decent
of average to below average quality
was disappointed in the renowned historian's latest book, which is only middling
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of middling
The Wall Street Journal is estimating a middling 75,000 jobs to have been added.
—
Aris Folley, The Hill, 4 Sep. 2025
Los Angeles has already gone through two months of middling offensive production, even with Smith producing well enough to contend for the batting title.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Her son’s middling grades infuriated her.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Even in college sports, where the cult of the head coach looms large, the attention Belichick has delivered to a middling program stands out.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for middling
Aris Folley, The Hill, 4 Sep. 2025
Los Angeles has already gone through two months of middling offensive production, even with Smith producing well enough to contend for the batting title.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2025
Her son’s middling grades infuriated her.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Even in college sports, where the cult of the head coach looms large, the attention Belichick has delivered to a middling program stands out.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for middling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middling
Adjective
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That is, the group enables Hamas to be both arsonist and firefighter, enhancing its control and reach into the lives of average, everyday Palestinians in Gaza.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
When users search for flights on Google Flights, the search engine will say if the fares or lower, higher or average for that route.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Dell’s downward-firing speakers, positioned underneath each side of the chassis, project decent sound quality if the laptop rests on a solid surface, not your lap.—
Charles Jefferies,
PC Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
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Chin up, a hundred other decent men out there.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The median annual salary for dispatchers is around $50,000, which may be decent on paper but falls short when weighed against the emotional and cognitive demands of the job.—
Jason Truppi,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
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With median home prices around $232,500 and rents around $1,000, Amarillo offers budget-friendly options for those looking for an active lifestyle.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Since its premiere in 2011, Downton Abbey has bid audiences adieu a few times — first, with its television finale after six seasons; then, over the course of two films, any one of which could have been a satisfactory conclusion for this cadre of characters.—
Mekishana Pierre September 11,
EW.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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While the golf course renovation was not satisfactory to many people, it was needed.—
Steven Franck,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Before the war began, the leading militaries focused on larger, expensive, medium to long-range models.—
Joseph Nepomuceno,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Sep. 2025
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For most traders, the action is concentrated in the short to medium part of the curve.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The rest of them were… is mediocre unfair?—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Labor force indicators are at best mediocre, although the 800,000 reduction in jobholder numbers from a normal annual benchmarking with fully complete data is overblown.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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National reconciliation is Lee’s priority despite controversies Ex-President Yoon’s martial law declaration brought tens of thousands of ordinary South Koreans onto the street and rekindled dark memories of military rule.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
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In their experiments, the researchers froze water with different amounts of ordinary salt (NaCl).—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Many of his supporters responded to his death with messages of grief, but his critics were either indifferent or celebratory.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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Institutions that once functioned for the benefit of the public are now sclerotic, having been partly dismantled, or seem indifferent to suffering.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Middling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middling. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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