mediocre

• mediocer (obsolete)
• médiocre (dated)

From the late Middle English medioker, from the French médiocre, from the Middle French médiocre, from the Classical Latin mediocris (“in a middle state”, “of middle size”, “middling”, “moderate”, “ordinary”, from medius (“middle”) +‎ ocris (“rugged mountain”)); compare mediocrely and mediocrity.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌmiːdɪˈəʊkə/, /ˈmiːdɪˌəʊkə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌmidiˈoʊkəɹ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

mediocre (comparative more mediocre, superlative most mediocre)

1. Not excellent or outstanding, usually disappointingly so.^[1]

   Synonyms: common, commonplace, ordinary

   Antonyms: great, distinguished, exceptional, outstanding, remarkable, peculiar, excellent

   I'm pretty good at tennis but only mediocre at racquetball.

   • 1968, William Arthur Ward, Thoughts of a Christian Optimist‎^[1], Droke House:

     The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.

   • 2023 August 24, Sarah Naftalis & Lauren Wells, “The Roast” (8:36 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows‎^[2], season 5, episode 8, spoken by Baron Afanas (Doug Jones):

     “Look at this festive assembly. All of us, gathered here together, chuckling at jokes and silliness.” [laughter] “And jackanapery.” [rim shots] “I guess there's only one thing left to say. What is this shit?” [rim shot] [laughter] “[laughs] Very good.” “You call yourselves vampires? Bah. This entire evening has been nothing but a pageant of insipid nonsense.” “[laughing] Yes.” “Worshipping at the altar of your own mediocre frivolity. A jester's hollow dance. And who is laughing?” “Yeah! [whoops] [grunts]” “Vampires are supposed to have blood orgies and slaughter circles. Gah! You have all gone soft. You even invited humans to this asinine affair.”

mediocre (plural mediocres)

1. A person of minor significance, accomplishment or acclaim; a common and undistinguished person.

   Antonym: great

   • 1825, “Present State of Literature”, in The Gentleman's Magazine‎^[3], volume XCV, second part, page 197:

     Of the hundreds of inferior poets, who are continually offering their sonnets and addresses to the Moon, (or to the public instead of that luminary,) Wade, Barton, Wiffen, and Bailey, are the most conspicuous. Wade is a new aspirant, but gives strong prognostications of genius. Barton and Bailey are above the mediocres, and Wiffen tolerable.

   • 2014, Todd Whitaker, Dealing with Difficult Teachers, Third Edition, page 84:

     After this lecture, how do the mediocres feel? They probably feel indifferent or mad. Perhaps they were not even paying attention. The question is, are they more likely to be in the hallway tomorrow? Probably not.

2. (historical) A member of a socioeconomic class between the upper ranks of society and the agricultural workers.

• “mediocre”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “mediocre”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

• mediocer

mediocre m or f (masculine and feminine plural mediocres)

1. mediocre

• mediocrement

• mediocritat

• “mediocre”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

• IPA^(key): /meˈdjɔ.kre/
• Rhymes: -ɔkre
• Hyphenation: me‧diò‧cre

mediocre m or f (plural mediocri)

1. mediocre, ordinary, middling

   Synonyms: comune, ordinario

2. second-rate, poor, shoddy

   Synonyms: scadente, scarso

mediocre m or f by sense (plural mediocri)

1. mediocre person; mediocrity

• decimerò

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [mɛˈdi.ɔ.krɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [meˈd̪iː.o.kre]

mediocre

1. nominative/accusative neuter singular of mediocris

mediocre m or f (plural mediocres)

1. Pre-reform spelling (used until 1943 in Brazil and 1911 in Portugal) of medíocre.
   • 1933, Graciliano Ramos, chapter XIII, in Cahetés‎^[4], 1st edition, Rio de Janeiro: Schmidt, page 101:

     Trabalhei damnadamente, e o resultado foi mediocre. Sou incapaz de saber o que se passa na alma dum anthropophago.

     I worked awfully, and the result was mediocre. I’m incapable of knowing what goes on in the soul of a man-eater.

Borrowed from Latin mediocris.

• IPA^(key): /meˈdjokɾe/ [meˈð̞jo.kɾe]
• Rhymes: -okɾe
• Syllabification: me‧dio‧cre

mediocre m or f (masculine and feminine plural mediocres)

1. mediocre

   Synonyms: cutre, normalito, poca cosa, regular

• “mediocre”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024