unexceptional

adjective

ˌən-ik-ˈsep-sh(ə-)nəl
Definition of unexceptionalnext
as in normal
being of the type that is encountered in the normal course of events the physicist, now regarded as one of the brightest minds in science, was an unexceptional student as a child

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 unexceptional That’s why nominating another batch of respectable but unexceptional candidates—the preference of the party’s DC establishment—could be deadly. — Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 16 Feb. 2026 Dad had always told me his father was a naval officer who'd had an unexceptional career and died suddenly in a traffic accident. — CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025 Meanwhile, Young and the Panthers' offense has been unexceptional through three quarters, but did enough to take a 13-3 lead into the fourth quarter. — Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Oct. 2025 The site includes several unexceptional museums housed in palaces, but two must-see attractions are the Mosque of Mohammed Ali and the Gawhara Terrace for a fantastic view over Cairo. — Nada El Sawy, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Nov. 2023 See All Example Sentences for unexceptional
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unexceptional
  1. normal
  2. ordinary
  3. usual
  4. average
  5. typical
  6. commonplace
  7. unremarkable
Adjective
  • After The Dick Van Dyke Show wrapped, Matthews returned to a normal childhood life and attended UCLA.
    — Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Vertical speeds during normal operations rarely exceed plus or minus 4,000 feet per minute, FlightRadar24 said.
    — Azhar Sukri, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of normal
Adjective
  • Georgia Power estimates this system will deliver 900 million dollars in net savings for ordinary customers over the working life of the reactors.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Kyiv argued the warehouses held dual-use goods, and that hitting them would impose an immediate cost on ordinary Russians, who would pressure the Kremlin to end the war.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of ordinary
Adjective
  • My task was to comment on which might be most palatable—or least offensive—to the fair’s usual client base.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • There were three meltdowns close together that were worse than usual.
    — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of usual
Adjective
  • Storm activity in the Pacific has been above average during what is already the peak of hurricane season, according to National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • After a cool weekend, and even some brief evening rain for parts of the Central Valley including Sacramento late Sunday, the Golden State is set to bounce back with above-average temperatures as October fast approaches.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of average
Adjective
  • Instead of reaching out to typical Western researchers and scientists, Boyland and his team went to Africa and approached wildlife guides, drivers, photographers, and locals who saw wildlife daily.
    — Addie Morfoot, Variety, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Options flows from institutional investors are around three times higher than a typical September, the data shows.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of typical
Adjective
  • Could something so commonplace really be slowly poisoning people?
    — Sean McCann, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026
  • In the weeks that followed, tethered and untethered surveillance drones became commonplace at campaign rallies and large events at the White House complex.
    — Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of commonplace
Adjective
  • An unremarkable meal, or a conversation that fills 10 spare minutes rarely feels consequential on its own.
    — Justin Vaughn, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Only six rather unremarkable tropical storms have formed there this season.
    — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of unremarkable

Browse Nearby Words

unexceptionable
unexceptional
unexcitable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unexceptional.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unexceptional. Accessed 5 Oct. 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
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
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All