SO-SO Synonyms: 142 Similar and Opposite Words

so-so 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of so-so

as in decent

of average to below average quality a so-so production of a great play

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

so-so

2 of 2

adverb

ˈsō-ˈsō

as in good

in a satisfactory way I think I did so-so on the test

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 so-so

Adjective

The results are only so-so as Tony Stark tussles with PTSD, criminally underused antagonist Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) and yawn-worthy villain Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce). — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026 After two so-so starts, Buchanan approached Lambert with some ideas. — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 23 July 2026

Adverb

Instead, all four proved to be only so-so reality TV chefs and the judges never had to make a single Sophie’s choice between any of them. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026 But that dosing mechanism only works so-so. — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for so-so

Recent Examples of Synonyms for so-so

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

Adverb

That’s tough to do against a good-hitting team, especially in a big part of their order, middle part of their order.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026
That includes whether the 16 jobs are good-paying professional careers, hourly wage jobs, or something else.

— Olivia Young, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of good

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

Adverb

And this mission suits Lamb just fine, because IPC also owns the Daily Mirror, and Lamb is out for revenge against his employers for not promoting him.

— Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
On the plus side, the viewing angle is pretty wide at 178 degrees, so even four people wide, taking turns playing games, will all see the screen just fine.

— Joe Salas August 28, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of fine

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

Adverb

Matthew McConaughey hopes that Woody Harrelson has a more than alright, alright, alright 65th birthday.

— Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 25 July 2026
And in new data released this week from the Ronald Reagan Institute, there are very clear warnings that the kids aren’t alright with MAGA.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 1 July 2026

Definition of alright

Adjective

In a morass of middling quarterback play throughout the preseason, Fagnano has stood out.

— Daniel Popper, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
So far, season 11’s workplace dynamic and charismatic crew have elevated it above the low standard set by consecutive middling seasons across the Below Deck franchise.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of middling

Adverb

As for Apple, Amazon and Sony, all three companies have strong technology businesses in addition to theatrical and streaming content, which may align nicely with Imax's tech-heavy business.

— Sarah Whitten, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
None of this would worry me if the systems failed loudly, but a model out of its depth returns fluent, confident and nicely formatted text that happens to be wrong.

— Faisal Saeed, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of nicely

Browse Nearby Words

sort (through)

so-so

sot

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Cite this Entry

Style

“So-so.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/so-so. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of so-so

adjective

adverb

Example Sentences

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