mediocreadj.n.

Brit.

/ˌmiːdɪˈəʊkə/, U.S.

/ˌmidiˈoʊkər/

Forms: late Middle English medioker, 1500s– mediocre, 1700s–1800s médiocre.

Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymon: French médiocre.

Etymology: < Middle French, French médiocre (1495) < classical Latin mediocris of middle degree, quality, or rank < medius middle (see medium adj.) + ocris rugged mountain, cognate with Umbrian ukar citadel, mountain, ancient Greek ὄκρις point, protuberance, Early Irish ochair , Old Welsh, Welsh ochr edge, side, Sanskrit aśri corner. Compare earlier mediocrely adv. and mediocrity n.For sense development see etymological note s.v. mediocrity n. Classical Latin mediocris is used of literary and rhetorical style, as is Middle French, French médiocre (1580); compare quot. 1586 at sense A. Classical Latin mediocris is also used of poets; compare Middle French poète mediocre (1572) and quot. 1742 at sense A. With intensification (e.g. very mediocre in quot. 1742 at sense A.) compare Middle French, French bien, très, fort médiocre (1580). With use as noun, compare French le médiocre (1674; 1658 used in plural denoting people). In 18th and early 19th cent. often printed in italics and with accent, indicating its status as a French loan.

A. adj.

Of middling quality; neither bad nor good, average; (hence contextually) indifferent, of poor quality, second-rate. Used chiefly of literary or artistic works, ability, or knowledge, and hence of people considered with regard to their mental power or skill.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > mediocrity > [adjective]

feeblec1275

demeanc1380

unnoblec1384

coarse1424

colourlessc1425

passable1489

meana1500

indifferent1532

plain1539

so-so1542

mediocre1586

ordinary1590

fameless1611

middling1652

middle-rate1658

ornery1692

so-soish1819

nohow1828

betwixt and between1832

indifferential1836

null1847

undazzling1855

deviceless1884

uncompetitive1885

tug1890

run of the mill1919

serviceable1920

dim1958

spammy1959

comme ci, comme ça1968

vanilla1972

meh2007

1586 A. Day Eng. Secretorie i. sig. B7 Mediocre [sc. style], a meane betwixt high and low, vehement and slender.

1659 W. S. Macollo's XCIX Canons in Physick 97 A larger diet must be granted to children then to old folks, and a mediocre to those of a middle age.

1742 A. Pope Corr. 27 Nov. (1956) IV. 428 A very mediocre Poet, one Drayton, is yet taken some notice of, because Selden writ a few Notes on one of his Poems.

1797 Monthly Mag. 3 29 There are four silver clasps..the style of the engraving of which is but médiocre.

1829 E. Bulwer-Lytton Devereux I. i. iii. 17 His talent was of that mechanical, yet quick nature, which makes wonderful boys, but médiocre men.

1847 H. Miller First Impressions Eng. iii. 37 We enter the suburbs, and pass through mediocre streets of brick.

1884 Graphic 18 Oct. 410/3 Captain Ross's Welsh cow gave 46 lb. of mediocre milk.

1945 J. Nehru Let. 10 Mar. in S. Gandhi Two Alone (1992) 460 A few out of the books they send are good, most are mediocre.

1990 Sun (Brisbane) 25 Apr. 25/3 In a US television season of many mediocre new shows, some miracles do occur: such as Bagdad Cafe and Carol & Co.

B. n.

1. In plural. Mediocre things; mediocre people.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > mediocrity > [noun] > mediocre person > collectively

mediocres1813

1813 T. Jefferson Let. 12 Oct. in Papers (2009) Retirement Ser. VI. 551 The Latin versions of this passage by Buchanan & by Johnston, are but mediocres.

1834 R. Southey Doctor I. 187 The mediocres in every grade aim at pleasing the public.

1893 D. Pryde Pleasant Memories Busy Life ix. 131 You must bring forward the whole rank and file—duxes, mediocres, dullards, and dunces.

1918 Truth (Sydney) 10 Mar. 6/8 Cut out this pommy stuff, otherwise..the average person will want an interpreter to understand these imported mediocres.

1995 Clearing House (Electronic ed.) 17 July 356 He believes that there are three kinds of teachers in a school: superstars, backbones, and mediocres.

2. In singular. With the. That which is mediocre; mediocre people as a class.

ΚΠ

1884 Sir R. Harrington in Law Times 77 393/2 The mediocre..always form numerically the largest portion of every profession.

1903 Speaker 17 Oct. 61/1 The result would be a kind of nightmare of the mediocre, a universal Brixton.

1959 B. North & R. North tr. M. Duverger Polit. Parties (ed. 2) i. iii. 163 Opposition to youth is particularly strong amongst the lower ranks of leadership that are often manned by the mediocre.

1991 Time Out 20 Nov. 5/3 What emerges is a stream of sad litanies to the mediocre and the ephemeral.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	mediocre
释义	mediocreadj.n. Brit. /ˌmiːdɪˈəʊkə/, U.S. /ˌmidiˈoʊkər/ Forms: late Middle English medioker, 1500s– mediocre, 1700s–1800s médiocre. Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymon: French médiocre. Etymology: < Middle French, French médiocre (1495) < classical Latin mediocris of middle degree, quality, or rank < medius middle (see medium adj.) + ocris rugged mountain, cognate with Umbrian ukar citadel, mountain, ancient Greek ὄκρις point, protuberance, Early Irish ochair , Old Welsh, Welsh ochr edge, side, Sanskrit aśri corner. Compare earlier mediocrely adv. and mediocrity n.For sense development see etymological note s.v. mediocrity n. Classical Latin mediocris is used of literary and rhetorical style, as is Middle French, French médiocre (1580); compare quot. 1586 at sense A. Classical Latin mediocris is also used of poets; compare Middle French poète mediocre (1572) and quot. 1742 at sense A. With intensification (e.g. very mediocre in quot. 1742 at sense A.) compare Middle French, French bien, très, fort médiocre (1580). With use as noun, compare French le médiocre (1674; 1658 used in plural denoting people). In 18th and early 19th cent. often printed in italics and with accent, indicating its status as a French loan. A. adj. Of middling quality; neither bad nor good, average; (hence contextually) indifferent, of poor quality, second-rate. Used chiefly of literary or artistic works, ability, or knowledge, and hence of people considered with regard to their mental power or skill. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > mediocrity > [adjective] feeblec1275 demeanc1380 unnoblec1384 coarse1424 colourlessc1425 passable1489 meana1500 indifferent1532 plain1539 so-so1542 mediocre1586 ordinary1590 fameless1611 middling1652 middle-rate1658 ornery1692 so-soish1819 nohow1828 betwixt and between1832 indifferential1836 null1847 undazzling1855 deviceless1884 uncompetitive1885 tug1890 run of the mill1919 serviceable1920 dim1958 spammy1959 comme ci, comme ça1968 vanilla1972 meh2007 1586 A. Day Eng. Secretorie i. sig. B7 Mediocre [sc. style], a meane betwixt high and low, vehement and slender. 1659 W. S. Macollo's XCIX Canons in Physick 97 A larger diet must be granted to children then to old folks, and a mediocre to those of a middle age. 1742 A. Pope Corr. 27 Nov. (1956) IV. 428 A very mediocre Poet, one Drayton, is yet taken some notice of, because Selden writ a few Notes on one of his Poems. 1797 Monthly Mag. 3 29 There are four silver clasps..the style of the engraving of which is but médiocre. 1829 E. Bulwer-Lytton Devereux I. i. iii. 17 His talent was of that mechanical, yet quick nature, which makes wonderful boys, but médiocre men. 1847 H. Miller First Impressions Eng. iii. 37 We enter the suburbs, and pass through mediocre streets of brick. 1884 Graphic 18 Oct. 410/3 Captain Ross's Welsh cow gave 46 lb. of mediocre milk. 1945 J. Nehru Let. 10 Mar. in S. Gandhi Two Alone (1992) 460 A few out of the books they send are good, most are mediocre. 1990 Sun (Brisbane) 25 Apr. 25/3 In a US television season of many mediocre new shows, some miracles do occur: such as Bagdad Cafe and Carol & Co. B. n. 1. In plural. Mediocre things; mediocre people. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > mediocrity > [noun] > mediocre person > collectively mediocres1813 1813 T. Jefferson Let. 12 Oct. in Papers (2009) Retirement Ser. VI. 551 The Latin versions of this passage by Buchanan & by Johnston, are but mediocres. 1834 R. Southey Doctor I. 187 The mediocres in every grade aim at pleasing the public. 1893 D. Pryde Pleasant Memories Busy Life ix. 131 You must bring forward the whole rank and file—duxes, mediocres, dullards, and dunces. 1918 Truth (Sydney) 10 Mar. 6/8 Cut out this pommy stuff, otherwise..the average person will want an interpreter to understand these imported mediocres. 1995 Clearing House (Electronic ed.) 17 July 356 He believes that there are three kinds of teachers in a school: superstars, backbones, and mediocres. 2. In singular. With the. That which is mediocre; mediocre people as a class. ΚΠ 1884 Sir R. Harrington in Law Times 77 393/2 The mediocre..always form numerically the largest portion of every profession. 1903 Speaker 17 Oct. 61/1 The result would be a kind of nightmare of the mediocre, a universal Brixton. 1959 B. North & R. North tr. M. Duverger Polit. Parties (ed. 2) i. iii. 163 Opposition to youth is particularly strong amongst the lower ranks of leadership that are often manned by the mediocre. 1991 Time Out 20 Nov. 5/3 What emerges is a stream of sad litanies to the mediocre and the ephemeral. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adj.n.1586
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