One of the things that is remarkable about mediocre is the extent to which it has retained its meaning over the course of more than four centuries of continual use.

MEDIOCRE definition: of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate. See examples of mediocre used in a sentence.

MEDIOCRE definition: 1. not very good: 2. not very good: 3. just acceptable but not good; not good enough: . Learn more.

Mediocre ultimately comes from Latin mediocris, which meant "middling, ordinary, unremarkable." The Latin word in turn is a compound based on a rather concrete metaphor—we often find that abstract …

Definition of mediocre adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. not very good; of only average standard. I thought the play was only mediocre. They have replaced a great leader with a …

Mar 22, 2026 · Adjective mediocre (comparative more mediocre, superlative most mediocre) Not excellent or outstanding, usually disappointingly so. [1] Synonyms: common, commonplace, ordinary; …

Factsheet What does the word mediocre mean? There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the word mediocre. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Mediocre is an adjective that means "merely adequate" or "of only ordinary quality." A "C" is a mediocre grade for students who are fair to middling. The roots of the adjective mediocre are from the Latin …

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025 me•di•o•cre /ˌmidiˈoʊkɚ/ adj. of ordinary or moderate quality: gets mediocre grades. me•di•oc•ri•ty /ˌmidiˈɑkrɪti/ n. …

Neither very good nor very bad; ordinary; average. Not good enough; inferior.