as in decent
of average to below average quality
a so-so production of a great play
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in good
in a satisfactory way
I think I did so-so on the test
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 so-so
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
Outside of Martin, the rotation has been so-so, and Venable frequently has employed an opener to make up for its lack of dominance.
—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Nov. 2025
And solid exit scores among moviegoers are more than making up for so-so reviews, including a B+ CinemaScore and an 80 percent audience ranking on Rotten Tomatoes.
—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for so-so
Adjective
Within Nanjiani’s so-so performance is a cautionary tale about Taskmaster’s recent casting methods and what this show both requires from, and owes to, its competitors.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
Outside of Martin, the rotation has been so-so, and Venable frequently has employed an opener to make up for its lack of dominance.
—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
Adverb
Dylan Cease’s so-so walk year doesn’t appear to have cost him in free agency.
—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Nov. 2025
And solid exit scores among moviegoers are more than making up for so-so reviews, including a B+ CinemaScore and an 80 percent audience ranking on Rotten Tomatoes.
—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for so-so
Recent Examples of Synonyms for so-so
Adjective
-
There are still a few days of group stage games to go, but Bosnia-Herzegovina's four points and three goals today have given it decent odds.
-
For Sacramento, that means another afternoon with temps briefly in the low to mid-90s before a decent Delta breeze kicks in.
Adverb
-
Industry officials say their rise will lead to good-paying jobs.
-
Delivering good-paying jobs by ensuring these centers leverage local trades and pay prevailing wages.
Adjective
-
And a mediocre company can become an extraordinary one when almost everyone has already given up.
-
Instead, Peralta has been worse than mediocre.
Adverb
-
Using the controller, the game plays fine, but my son would have appreciated the game more on the iPad.
-
This worked fine most of the time, but might occasionally hit a snag.
Adjective
-
For writing, editing, spreadsheets, email, and web browsing, performance proved entirely satisfactory.
-
Iran hawks and an array of dissidents and mainstream voices within the Republican Party have cast doubt on whether the agreement secured satisfactory concessions from Iran.
Adverb
-
Went to Monaco on loan in February and has done alright there.
-
Rushing has spread his good at-bats out alright.
Adjective
-
Chisholm said that after Schlittler spun yet another gem, holding the middling Reds to four hits, a hit-by-pitch and zero walks over six scoreless innings in a 5-0 win for the Yankees.
-
Conwell is middling at best as a distributor and not notably efficient scoring inside the arc.
Adverb
-
Unlike Substrate, xLight’s strategy is to play nicely within the existing ecosystem, developing technology that can integrate into rather than displace ASML’s and TSMC’s existing architectures.
-
The kitchen is quite small but nicely renovated (the tile floors are lovely).
Cite this Entry
“So-so.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/so-so. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
