# mediocre

/ˌmidiˈoʊkɝ/ (US) · /mˌiːdɪˈəʊkɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mediocre
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. not very good

adjective · CEFR B2

not very good or special; just average in a way that is disappointing.

For teachers: of only moderate quality; not very good or impressive. Usually carries a pejorative nuance suggesting a failure to reach a higher standard.

- The food at the new restaurant was mediocre, so we probably won't go back.
- Despite the massive marketing budget, the film received mediocre reviews from critics who found the plot predictable and the acting uninspired.

### 2. an unremarkable person

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

a person who does not have any special skills or success.

For teachers: a person of low or unremarkable significance, talent, or achievement.

- He was a mediocre among giants, struggling to keep up with his talented peers.
- The essay argues that the era was defined not by its great leaders, but by the rise of the mediocres who filled the administrative ranks.

### 3. historical middle class

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Technical

a person in history who was between the rich upper class and the poor workers.

For teachers: a member of a socioeconomic class situated between the aristocracy and the peasantry.

- In that society, a mediocre had more rights than a farmer but fewer than a lord.
- The historian examined the legal status of the mediocres in sixteenth-century social hierarchies.

## Examples

- The movie was mediocre and not worth the ticket price.
- Despite the high prices at the new restaurant, the food was mediocre and the service was slow.
- The critic argued that the artist's later works were merely mediocre imitations of the bold, innovative style that had originally made her famous.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.