MIDDLING Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

middling

adjective

ˈmid-liŋ

Definition of middling

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in decent

of average to below average quality was disappointed in the renowned historian's latest book, which is only middling

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 middling Unfortunately, the fantasy is interrupted by a giant monolith of a middling luxury condo building looming outside. — Nora Deligter, Curbed, 4 Sep. 2026 Jealousy and entitlement steer the actions of middling white writer June Hayward, who brazenly steals the manuscript of her much more talented friend, Chinese-American author, Athena Liu, after being the sole witness to Athena’s death. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026 Years of middling football results, poor attendance and donor missteps have eroded fan trust. — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 That 2007 season was the best in KU history and came after decades of middling to bad football. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for middling

Recent Examples of Synonyms for middling

Adjective

That's the weakest average performance of any two-month period for the stock market benchmark.

— Fred Imbert, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
At second and third base, his range (minus-12 outs above average) ranks in the league’s bottom first percentile.

— Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of average

Adjective

Food and drink The property’s on-site restaurant serves decent New American fare in a room that offers the same excellent views as the penthouses, or on the hotel’s delightful terrace during the warmer months.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
Iwelumo was a decent, albeit nomadic, forward who played professionally for almost two decades.

— Amitai Winehouse, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of decent

Adjective

Workforce housing is meant to cater to working-class households making a certain amount above the median income in their area, but has been criticized for not actually being affordable for the average worker.

— Daniel Rivero, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
Post-tax median household income rose more than 3% from 2024 to $76,060.

— Andrew Moran, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of median

Adjective

The Jays will need many moments in the next month to turn this mediocre season into one worth remembering.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The mediocre screen was an unpleasant surprise given that this thing advertised 100 percent sRGB gamut coverage when it was announced and on its product page for many weeks (the Internet Archive captures it here).

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of mediocre

Adjective

Not ready for prime time The video-generation technology rarely gets the content right on its first try, Sun said, adding that her team takes at least 10 attempts to create a satisfactory 15-second clip.

— Ling Wei, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
The ride quality in my tester was more than satisfactory; a good thing given the infamous Atlanta traffic.

— Jerry Perez, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of satisfactory

Adjective

McCuin has only good speed and ordinary size, but his route savvy, ball skills and competitive toughness separate him on tape.

— Dane Brugler, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Europol does not keep statistics on nihilistic violent extremism because definitions of it differ and acts can fall into the category of ordinary criminality as well as terrorism.

— Lorne Cook, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of ordinary

Adjective

According to a July 2026 survey of more than 1,500 Americans by data-removal service Incogni, even the most privacy-indifferent users draw a hard line at their own lock screens.

— Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
Whether people would be hostile towards it or whether indifferent towards it or simply didn’t agree with it.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026