Mediocre

/ˌmiːdiˈoʊkər/

Meaning & Definition

adjective
Of only moderate quality; not very good.
The restaurant received mediocre reviews, which deterred many food enthusiasts from visiting.
Average, neither good nor bad; unremarkable.
His performance in the competition was mediocre, failing to impress the judges.
Lacking the qualities that would make something outstanding.
Despite the hype, the movie turned out to be rather mediocre and didn’t live up to expectations.
Ordinary; commonplace.
She had a mediocre understanding of the subject, which affected her exam results.

Etymology

From Latin 'mediocris', meaning 'moderate, ordinary'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

mediocre at best
Only average and lacking excellence.
mediocre talent
Talent that is not exceptional or outstanding.
mediocre effort
An effort that is lackluster or insufficient.

Related Words

mediocrity
The quality of being mediocre.
mediocrely
In a mediocre manner.
median
Relating to the middle value in a set of data.

Slang Meanings

Meh
The movie was all 'meh', not worth the time.
So-so
The concert was so-so, nothing special.
Average Joe
He's just an average Joe, nothing extraordinary.