mediocre
/ˌmidiˈoʊkəɹ/adjective, noun
mediocre is spelled M-E-D-I-O-C-R-E: 8 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 3.3 times per million words in written English, the 14,509th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, mediocre means “Not excellent or outstanding, usually disappointingly so” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in mediocre?
| Letters | 8: M-E-D-I-O-C-R-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.3 times per million words; the 14,509th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is mediocre?
Mediocre appears 3.3 times per million words in written English, the 14,509th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce mediocre?
- UK /ˌmiːdɪˈəʊkə/
- UK /ˈmiːdɪˌəʊkə/
- US /ˌmidiˈoʊkəɹ/
Mediocre has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-mediocre.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with mediocre?
9 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as mediocre from its last stressed vowel (/oʊkəɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of mediocre
- more mediocre comparative
- most mediocre superlative
- mediocres plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does mediocre mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not excellent or outstanding, usually disappointingly so.
I'm pretty good at tennis but only mediocre at racquetball.
noun
- 1
A person of minor significance, accomplishment or acclaim; a common and undistinguished person.
- 2
A member of a socioeconomic class between the upper ranks of society and the agricultural workers.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Mediocre in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | médiocre |
| German | mittelmäßig , Mittelmäßige |
| Portuguese | medíocre, meia-boca |
| Spanish | mediocre |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does mediocre come from?
From the late Middle English medioker, from the French médiocre, from the Middle French médiocre, from the Classical Latin mediocris (“in a middle state”, “of middle size”, “middling”, “moderate”, “ordinary”, from medius (“middle”) + ocris (“rugged mountain”)); compare mediocrely and mediocrity.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).