# mediocrity

/ˌmidiˈɑkɹəti/ (US) · /mˌiːdɪˈɒkɹɪti/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mediocrity
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. an unremarkable person

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal

a person who does not have much talent or who has not achieved anything special.

For teachers: a person of mediocre abilities, achievements, or social standing.

- He was a mediocrity who only got the job because of his father.
- History has largely forgotten the various mediocrities who occupied the office during that period of political stagnation.

### 3. the middle state

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

a middle state between two extremes.

For teachers: the quality of being intermediate between two extremes; a middle state or mean.

- He sought a life of happy mediocrity, avoiding both great wealth and poverty.
- The philosopher praised the golden mediocrity of a life lived far from the volatile passions of the court.

## Examples

- The team was tired of settling for mediocrity.
- Despite having a large budget, the film was a work of pure mediocrity that failed to impress critics.
- In a culture that increasingly rewards viral trends over craftsmanship, many artists fear that genuine talent is being drowned out by comfortable mediocrity.

---

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.