mediocrity

/,mi:di'ɔkriti/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition
  1. Noun:
    • The quality of being average, ordinary, or not very good: The state of being neither excellent nor very poor, but rather of moderate or low quality.
    • A person or thing that is not very good or successful: An individual or object that is considered ordinary, undistinguished, or of only moderate ability.
Usage

The word "mediocrity" is used to describe a lack of high quality, distinction, or excellence. It often carries a negative or critical connotation, implying that something or someone is merely adequate or average when more was expected or possible. It can refer to abstract qualities (like the mediocrity of a performance) or to concrete entities (like a person considered a mediocrity).

Examples
  • Referring to a quality:
    • The film was criticized for its mediocrity; it was neither terrible nor memorable.
    • He was frustrated by the mediocrity of the service at the expensive restaurant.
  • Referring to a person:
    • The brilliant scientist felt isolated among the mediocrities in the administration.
    • She refused to settle for being a mediocrity in her field and pursued further studies.
Advanced Usage
  • "to sink into mediocrity": to decline or settle into a state of being average or undistinguished.
    • After winning the championship, the team sank into mediocrity for several seasons.
  • "a sea of mediocrity": a situation where there is a large amount of average or poor quality, making anything good stand out.
    • Her innovative design stood out in a sea of mediocrity at the trade show.
Variants and Related Words
  • Mediocre (adj): of only moderate quality; not very good.
    • The meal was mediocre, certainly not worth the high price.
  • Mediocrity as a collective: Can sometimes refer to the collective group of mediocre people or things.
    • He rose above the mediocrity that surrounded him.
Synonyms
  • Averageness: The state of being average.
  • Ordinariness: The quality of being commonplace or unremarkable.
  • Inferiority: The condition of being lower in quality (stronger negative connotation).
Antonyms
  • Excellence: The quality of being outstanding or extremely good.
  • Superiority: The state of being higher in quality or rank.
  • Distinction: Excellence that sets someone or something apart from others.
Idioms and Phrases
  • "The cult of mediocrity": A situation or system that encourages or accepts average standards rather than striving for excellence.
    • The manager warned against the cult of mediocrity that was stifling innovation in the department.
Noun
  1. a person of second-rate ability or value
    • a team of aging second-raters
    • shone among the mediocrities who surrounded him
  2. ordinariness as a consequence of being average and not outstanding

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