MIDDLING Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

middling

adjective

ˈmid-liŋ

Definition of middling

as in average

being about midway between extremes of amount or size tired of the city but not particularly interested in small-town life, he moved to a suburb of middling size

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in decent

of average to below average quality was disappointed in the renowned historian's latest book, which is only middling

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of middling Teams don’t have to be much better than middling to sneak into October and hope to ride the variance of tournament baseball to a title. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 Given the higher prices teams are willing to pay for talent midseason, and the middling return organizations receive if a player leaves in free agency, the Tigers faced a choice. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Despite the middling score in the economic category, WalletHub’s analysis surmised that Fremont’s happiness is bolstered by its high share (nearly 80%) of households with an income above $75,000. — Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026 Plenty of possibilities Acquiring many middling starting pitchers would also carry the cost of their remaining salary for this season. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for middling

Recent Examples of Synonyms for middling

Adjective

Across this period, there has been a strong correlation between higher average possession and points per game.

— Jon Mackenzie, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
The required earnings amount is adjusted annually to reflect changes in average wages, so the threshold generally rises over time.

— Miranda Marquit, Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of average

Adjective

Jeremy Jacquet looks like a decent replacement for Ibrahima Konate and getting Ronald Araujo on loan provides extra cover given the defensive injuries.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Cease has been decent against Guardians hitters, holding them to 26 hits in 105 at-bats, but only nine of them have been for extra bases.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of decent

Adjective

The Jays will need many moments in the next month to turn this mediocre season into one worth remembering.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The mediocre screen was an unpleasant surprise given that this thing advertised 100 percent sRGB gamut coverage when it was announced and on its product page for many weeks (the Internet Archive captures it here).

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of mediocre

Adjective

Braun, meanwhile, matched his girlfriend in denim, pairing medium-wash jeans with a white T-shirt.

— Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026
Bring to a boil over medium-high; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, whisking occasionally, until flavors meld and mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

— Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of medium

Adjective

The ride quality in my tester was more than satisfactory; a good thing given the infamous Atlanta traffic.

— Jerry Perez, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026
Esther’s sudden fortune and failure — which arrives via mail in two envelopes on the same day — is unrealistic, and her story isn’t resolved in a satisfactory way at the end.

— Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of satisfactory

Adjective

This may not come as a surprise in a world not only of AI, but widespread access to technology that requires ordinary people to develop typing skills.

— Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Why network awareness deserves more attention now Online banking and shopping place sensitive information at the center of ordinary internet use.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of ordinary

Adjective

OpenRouter’s worth rests on routing that stays indifferent to who owns the router.

— Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Lawmakers simply closed their ears to the critics and boldly pushed ahead, either oblivious or indifferent to the consequences to Maryland taxpayers.

— Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026