Meaning & use
mediocrity
Last updated
The quality of being average or of only moderate standard, especially when something better was expected or possible.
See it in a sentence
The critic accused the film of settling for mediocrity instead of taking creative risks.
Years of mediocrity finally ended when the team hired a new coach.
A note on using this word
Mediocrity almost always carries a disappointed or critical tone, implying that something fell short of its potential.
Words with a similar meaning
averagenessordinariness
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
excellencebrilliance
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