run-of-the-mine

adjective

ˌrən-ə(v)-t͟hə-ˈmīn How to pronounce run-of-the-mine (audio)
variants or run-of-mine
Definition of run-of-the-minenext
as in decent
of average to below average quality so far, the job posting has attracted only run-of-the-mine applicants

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for run-of-the-mine
  1. decent
  2. ordinary
  3. satisfactory
  4. medium
  5. common
  6. mediocre
  7. indifferent
  8. fair
Adjective
  • The perfect size for a daypack, this backpack is large enough to fit a decent amount, such as a book, large headphones, a sweater, snacks and a water bottle, alongside your basic essentials like your wallet, phone and keys.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • No such problems with following the play existed at Tranmere, where, even in the 1980s, their long-term home afforded a decent view from behind both goals.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of decent
Adjective
  • Pay attention to ordinary pleasures, like a warm bed on a cold night, a good cup of coffee, or a brightly colored bird outside the window.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Critics, however, said the effects of those macroeconomic improvements were not being felt by ordinary Zambians who were growing frustrated with a high cost of living and electricity shortages.
    — Jacob Zimba, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of ordinary
Adjective
  • By contrast, state inspection records from 2025 and the first weeks of 2026, just days after Calvo took office in January, show the city’s pool facilities were consistently rated satisfactory.
    — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026
  • For someone who is dogmatic, or has a strong commitment to evangelism, this may not be satisfactory.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of satisfactory
Adjective
  • Grafton Correctional Institution houses just over 2,000 inmates for minimum and medium security levels and has been in operation since 1988, according to the facility.
    — Jon Haworth, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • After distillation, the tequila was aged for a minimum of three years in new American oak barrels with medium and high char levels, as well as in French oak casks that were previously used to age Amarone wine, a dry red wine from Italy.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of medium
Adjective
  • The most common type of vessel to travel through the strait was the product tanker, which typically transports refined petroleum products.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Medicaid was meant to provide health care to the vulnerable — a pregnant mother, a disabled father, a poor child — but the most common new enrollee of the past decade has been an able-bodied adult.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of common
Adjective
  • Fernandes has some concerns as a lower volume striker, and his wrestling is mediocre.
    — Brett Appley, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • But that enthusiasm once led him to buy five wooden boxes in a single haul, several of which were mediocre and three of which needed repairs.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of mediocre
Adjective
  • Difference may still matter for close relationships Our findings do not mean that people are indifferent to differences.
    — Andras Molnar, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Over time, the same system that profited from his brilliance proved indifferent to his vulnerability, and his life became reduced to a singular narrative of addiction and demise.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of indifferent
Adjective
  • European sides will still have to comply with UEFA’s more stringent rules, which broadly mirror both SCR’s spending cap and PSR’s three-year rolling assessment period, but the faster implementation of sanctions makes the regulations seem fairer.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Min Aung Hlaing was inaugurated president in April following a general election judged by United Nations experts and rights groups to be neither free nor fair.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of fair
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.

Browse Nearby Words

run-of-the-mill
run-of-the-mine
run on
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Run-of-the-mine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/run-of-the-mine. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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