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
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
Harrison, a passionate, if middling, fisherman who would later publish Legends of the Fall; Brautigan, the author of the celebrated 1967 novella Trout Fishing in America; and Guy de la Valdène, a French writer, sportsman, and Norman count.
—
Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
After several lackluster outings against middling running backs, the Dolphins finally had a statement performance against Robinson in their 34-10 victory over the Falcons.
—Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
A lot will need to go right for the Celtics to exceed their middling expectations.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
Anything that’s just middling won’t stick.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for middling
Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
After several lackluster outings against middling running backs, the Dolphins finally had a statement performance against Robinson in their 34-10 victory over the Falcons.
—Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2025
A lot will need to go right for the Celtics to exceed their middling expectations.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
Anything that’s just middling won’t stick.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for middling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middling
Adjective
-
The health research nonprofit KFF said the amount people pay for coverage will rise by 114 percent on average.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
6 Nov. 2025
-
At the same time, employer health benefit plans are also predicted to see an average increase of over 6 percent in cost next year.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The University of Florida product made a decent impact his rookie season, appearing in 12 games and rushing 38 times for 161 yards and a touchdown.—
Noah Camras,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Meanwhile, food aboard the International Space Station and the Tiangong leaves much to be desired, with the menus reading like something more suited to iron rations for a Round Britain yacht race than a decent meal.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The median annual price tag for a private bedroom in assisted living exceeded $64,000.—
Marisa Peñaloza,
NPR,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Moral stain aside, does anyone think such an injection of campus-style activism into the practical business of running the world's financial capital would actually benefit the median New Yorker?—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
How mediocre competitively balanced is the East right now?—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
And an example could have been made with one of the Dolphins’ mediocre starters.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 15 minutes.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Cook on medium to high heat for 3-4 hours.—
Bethany Thayer,
Freep.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Overall, the sound quality is comparable to that of a basic Bluetooth speaker—more than satisfactory for an AIO PC.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
15 Oct. 2025
-
According to a poll conducted by the company, eight out of 10 users were happy with the experience, while another one in five described it as satisfactory.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Obviously, fastidious double-entry bookkeeping reduces the margin for error, even in complicated accounts, but more than that, once accounts become commonplace, ordinary people begin to think of the world in terms of accounts.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Nov. 2025
-
But this isn’t an ordinary cookbook, one with 30-minute recipes and sensible serving sizes.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
But the house is also a benignly indifferent witness to the happiness and the strife that occur within its walls—and to the heartbreaking transience of human lives.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
True to New York grit, the owner of a corner bodega and smoke shop remained indifferent, leaning on the counter, unfazed.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Middling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middling. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share