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middling

SayMID-lingUS/ˈmɪd(ə)lɪŋ/UK/ˈmɪdlɪŋ/

Noun pluralmiddlings

6 meanings of middling

Practice

  1. 1
    adjective
    Average in size, value, or quality, not very good but not very bad.

    Like a grade of C: right in the middle, not great and not bad.

    The team had a middling season, winning about half their games.

    His grades stayed middling, never the best and never the worst.

    Similarmediocre, average, so-so, ordinary, unremarkable

    Note
  2. 2
    adverbdialectalBritish
    Fairly or somewhat, to a medium degree.

    The bathwater was middling warm by the time she got in.

    He's middling tall, about average for the team.

    Similarmoderately, fairly, somewhat, reasonably, rather

    Note
  3. 3
    adverbdialectalBritish
    Not too badly, with fair or modest results.

    Asked how work was going, she said it was going middling.

    The team played middling and finished in the middle of the table.

    Similardecently, okay, passably, adequately

    Note
  4. 4
    adjectivedialectalBritish
    In fairly good health, but not fully well.

    Grandpa's been middling since his cold, up and about but slow.

    She felt only middling after the long trip home.

    Similarso-so, okay, fair

    Note
  5. 5
    nouncountable
    A thing that is average in size, value, or quality.

    She sorted the apples and saved the middlings for sauce.

    This melon is a middling, neither big nor small.

    Note
  6. 6
    noununcountableplural
    The people of the middle class, those who are not rich and not poor.

    The middling could afford small comforts but never real luxury.

    Most shops in town relied on the middling for steady trade.

    Similarbourgeoisie

    Note

Practice

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Origin

The noun probably comes from "middle" plus "-ing." The adjective likely came from the noun, and the adverb from the adjective.