1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

run-of-the-mill

adjective

ˌrən-ə(v)-t͟hə-ˈmil How to pronounce run-of-the-mill (audio)
Definition of run-of-the-millnext
1
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events just another run-of-the-mill suburb with its shopping malls and fast-food restaurants

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ordinary
of average to below average quality his latest offering is rather run-of-the-mill for this usually excellent novelist

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 run-of-the-mill Life had changed drastically for all of them, naturally — there were now dealing with mortgages, children, marital strife, health issues, and your run-of-the-mill middle-age malaise. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Aug. 2026 This group includes many of our run-of-the-mill garden weeds. — Paul Cappiello, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Aug. 2026 What first appears to be a run-of-the-mill Seattle rainstorm is soon revealed to be something more nefarious, as the apparently sentient precipitation seals everyone inside of their homes. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026 Had he been exposed to a more run-of-the-mill pneumonic plague, symptom onset would have already consigned him to bed. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for run-of-the-mill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for run-of-the-mill
  1. normal
  2. ordinary
  3. usual
  4. decent
  5. typical
  6. mediocre
  7. average
  8. satisfactory
Adjective
  • Difficult or disruptive events can create opportunities to enact changes or policies that would be hard to implement during normal times.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • According to the investigation, the shooting began as a road-rage dispute between the garbage truck driver, who was performing his normal route, and occupants of a white box truck that was blocking the roadway, the release stated.
    — Keily Alfonzo, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of normal
Adjective
  • Now, with growing bipartisan opposition to the rapid buildout of data centers suggest that even ordinary residents of communities and voters have increased power to help pace the frontier from the bottom up.
    — Bhaskar Chakravorti, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Still, this trip could answer questions that eventually affect far more ordinary electric vehicles.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of ordinary
Adjective
  • There will be three races held in the United States once again, each retaining their usual date slots.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • To Diana, who has taken over First Desk at the Park after last season’s events, River’s refusal to take bereavement leave gives her license to speak about his grandfather’s funeral arrangements with her usual cool formality.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of usual
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
  • Figures such as Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul el Sayed have given Republicans an opportunity to cast Democrats as socially out of touch and misaligned with the typical voter’s values.
    — Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 21 Sep. 2026
  • These costs have grown 72% since 2015 and now account for 10 to 11% of a typical monthly bill.
    — Joe McGee, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of typical
Adjective
  • The mediocre male algorithm is probably all up in arms about it.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
  • An offensive line that often didn’t measure up against a mediocre defense (Maxx Crosby and a couple of others aside).
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of mediocre
Adjective
  • These give an idea of what an average American Jewish community would have known, in those years, about those events.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The average prices calculated by AAA are just that - averages per county, metro area, and state.
    — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of average
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

Browse Nearby Words

run off with
run-of-the-mill
run-of-the-mine
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Run-of-the-mill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/run-of-the-mill. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compendious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All