| English Dictionary |
MEDIOCRE
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Dictionary entry overview: What does mediocre mean?
• MEDIOCRE (adjective)
The adjective MEDIOCRE has 3 senses:
1. moderate to inferior in quality
2. lacking exceptional quality or ability
3. poor to middling in quality
Familiarity information: MEDIOCRE used as an adjective is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
Moderate to inferior in quality
Synonyms:
mediocre; second-rate
Context example:
they improved the quality from mediocre to above average
Similar:
inferior (of low or inferior quality)
Derivation:
mediocrity (a person of second-rate ability or value)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Lacking exceptional quality or ability
Synonyms:
average; fair; mediocre; middling
Context example:
the performance was middling at best
Similar:
ordinary (not exceptional in any way especially in quality or ability or size or degree)
Derivation:
mediocrity (ordinariness as a consequence of being average and not outstanding)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Poor to middling in quality
Context example:
there have been good and mediocre and bad artists
Similar:
bad (having undesirable or negative qualities)
Derivation:
mediocrity (a person of second-rate ability or value)
Context examples
But facts are facts, Watson, and, after all, you are only a general practitioner with very limited experience and mediocre qualifications.
(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
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