middling
Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈmɪdlɪŋ/, /ˈmɪdl̩ɪŋ/
  • (GA) IPA: /ˈmɪd(ə)lɪŋ/
Adjective

middling

  1. Of intermediate or average#Adjective|average size#Noun|size, position#Noun|position, or quality; mediocre.
    The football team is never the worst or best in its league; its position is always middling.
  2. (colloquial, regional Britain) In fairly good#Adjective|good health.
    • 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “Strife in Love”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], OCLC 855945 ↗, page 200 ↗:
      “And how’s that chest of yours?” demanded Mrs. Morel. / He smiled again, with his blue eyes rather sunny. / “Oh, it’s very middlin’,” he said.
Synonyms Adverb

middling

  1. (colloquial, regional Britain) Fairly, moderately, somewhat.
    • 1811, Engelbert Kempfer [i.e., Engelbert Kaempfer]; J[ohann] G[aspar] Scheuchzer, transl., “The Division and Sub-division of the Empire of Japan into Its Several Provinces; as also of Its Revenue and Government”, in The History of Japan; republished in John Pinkerton, editor, A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in All Parts of the World; Many of which are Now First Translated into English. Digested on a New Plan, volume VII, London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, Paternoster-Row; and Cadell and Davies, in the Strand, OCLC 77117810, page 665 ↗:
      Iwami, otherwise Sekisju, is two days journey long, going from ſouth to north, a middling good country, producing plenty of cannib, and affording ſome ſalt.
  2. (colloquial, regional Britain) Not too badly, with modest success.
Noun

middling (plural middlings)

  1. Something of intermediate or average#Adjective|average size#Noun|size, position#Noun|position, or quality.
    1. (plural) Preceded by the: people of moderate means; members of the middle class.



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