Synonyms of ordinary

ordinary 1 of 2

adjective

ˈȯr-də-ˌner-ē 

1

as in normal

being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events

it was a perfectly ordinary and undistinguished shirt

Synonyms & Similar Words

• normal
• usual
• average
• typical
• commonplace
• common
• routine
• standard
• everyday
• unremarkable
• prosaic
• regular
• customary
• run-of-the-mill
• familiar
• unexceptional
• garden-variety
• workaday
• expected
• standard-issue
• cut-and-dried
• plain
• homely
• par for the course
• popular
• predictable
• trivial
• frequent
• unimportant
• vulgar
• natural
• insignificant
• unextraordinary
• habitual
• plain-Jane
• wonted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extraordinary
• unusual
• strange
• abnormal
• exceptional
• odd
• peculiar
• curious
• rare
• out-of-the-way
• funny
• anomalous
• atypical
• quaint
• queer
• irregular
• aberrant
• scarce
• wild
• phenomenal
• bizarre
• outrageous
• fantastic
• outstanding
• weird
• eccentric
• untypical
• unconventional
• idiosyncratic
• prominent
• unique
• striking
• unorthodox
• conspicuous
• notable
• unprecedented
• novel
• salient
• singular
• wacky
• signal
• outré
• recherché
• unparalleled
• way-out
• offbeat
• oddball
• far-out
• freakish
• kooky
• nonconformist
• Kafkaesque
• freak
• unexampled

2

as in decent

of average to below average quality

the pizza at that restaurant is just ordinary—it's nothing to write home about

Synonyms & Similar Words

• decent
• medium
• satisfactory
• common
• mediocre
• indifferent
• run-of-the-mill
• second-class
• middling
• passable
• adequate
• fair
• reasonable
• acceptable
• run-of-the-mine
• nice
• second-rate
• sufficient
• so-so
• modest
• respectable
• good
• fine
• tolerable
• all right
• minimal
• moderate
• OK
• presentable
• sufficing
• alright
• unexceptional

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• special
• outstanding
• exceptional
• excellent
• great
• superior
• distinguished
• first-class
• splendid
• maximum
• classic
• optimal
• exquisite
• supreme
• marvelous
• sensational
• prime
• optimum
• superb
• top
• terrific
• grand
• stellar
• superlative
• fantastic
• fabulous
• sterling
• choice
• par excellence
• peerless
• capital
• nifty
• number one
• swell
• A1
• preeminent
• first-rate
• unparalleled
• matchless
• top-notch
• unmatched
• unsurpassed
• inadequate
• insufficient
• unsatisfactory
• unacceptable
• tip-top
• lacking
• deficient
• wanting

3

as in usual

often observed or encountered

an ordinary hairstyle for boys of that age

Synonyms & Similar Words

• usual
• ubiquitous
• commonplace
• common
• familiar
• household
• frequent
• general
• everyday
• quotidian
• routine
• normal
• garden-variety
• standard
• prevailing
• regular
• common or garden
• popular
• a dime a dozen
• continuous
• mandatory
• universal
• constant
• prevalent
• obligatory
• continual
• incessant
• recurrent
• unceasing
• endemic
• perennial
• rampant
• ceaseless
• repeated
• de rigueur

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unusual
• extraordinary
• rare
• seldom
• uncommon
• unfamiliar
• infrequent
• abnormal
• unnatural
• occasional
• irregular
• intermittent
• sporadic
• aberrant

ordinary

2 of 2

noun

as in commonplace

Related Words

• usual
• commonplace
• rule
• status quo
• normal
• median
• average
• middle
• run
• golden mean
• mean
• representative
• norm
• standard
• exemplar
• par

Dissimilar Words

• exception
• deviation
• anomaly
• abnormality
• rarity

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective ordinary contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of ordinary are common, familiar, plain, popular, and vulgar. While all these words mean "generally met with and not in any way special, strange, or unusual," ordinary stresses conformance in quality or kind with the regular order of things.

an ordinary pleasant summer day

a very ordinary sort of man

When would common be a good substitute for ordinary?

While in some cases nearly identical to ordinary, common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness.

a common error

lacked common honesty

common manners

When is it sensible to use familiar instead of ordinary?

Although the words familiar and ordinary have much in common, familiar stresses the fact of being generally known and easily recognized.

a familiar melody

Where would plain be a reasonable alternative to ordinary?

The words plain and ordinary can be used in similar contexts, but plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity.

plain hard-working people

In what contexts can popular take the place of ordinary?

While the synonyms popular and ordinary are close in meaning, popular applies to what is accepted by or prevalent among people in general sometimes in contrast to upper classes or special groups.

a writer of popular romances

How do vulgar and popular relate to one another, in the sense of ordinary?

Vulgar, otherwise similar to popular, is likely to carry derogatory connotations (as of inferiority or coarseness).

souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ordinary

Adjective

Perhaps the most wrenching scene is one in which Anders, seated alone in a busy café, tunes in to ordinary conversations around him. —Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Familiar Is a Trojan Horse There’s something subversive about using ordinary details in extraordinary stories. —Jd Barker, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025

Noun

The couple have often walked red carpets together, so it certainly wouldn’t be considered out of the ordinary for the 37-year-old to walk the Golden Globes red carpet alongside her beau as his plus-one. —Sam Reed, Glamour, 4 Jan. 2025

These pieces can transform one’s daily bathing ritual from an ordinary to a spa-like experience. —Adam Mansuroglu, WWD, 1 Nov. 2024