1
: of middle, medium, or moderate size, degree, or quality
2
3
: of, relating to, or being a middle class
middling
adverb
1
: any of various commodities of intermediate size, quality, or position
2
middlings plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: a granular product of grain milling
especially
: a wheat milling by-product used in animal feeds
Synonyms
Examples of middling in a Sentence
Adjective
tired of the city but not particularly interested in small-town life, he moved to a suburb of middling size
was disappointed in the renowned historian's latest book, which is only middling
Recent Examples on the Web
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2025
The Huskies will be an interesting topic of discussion on Selection Sunday: How much should their middling play in McNeeley’s absence matter in terms of seeding?
—Jim Root, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2025
Some cite Chicago’s league-worst record and St. Louis’ middling play for the disinterest, but Wachtel said the teams still drew the highest average ticket price in the history of the contest and performed well in merchandise and concessions.
—Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2025
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Adjective
After a middling interview with Miles Teller, they were joined by Mike Myers as Coffee Talk host Linda Richman, and the joy between the 2000s stars getting to banter with their Nineties predecessor doing one of his most beloved characters was palpable.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2025
The Huskies will be an interesting topic of discussion on Selection Sunday: How much should their middling play in McNeeley’s absence matter in terms of seeding?
—Jim Root, The Athletic, 13 Feb. 2025
Noun
Paying middling free agents at positions that already have respectable starters and flexibility for draft maneuvering is a fool’s errand in some respects.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2025
Some cite Chicago’s league-worst record and St. Louis’ middling play for the disinterest, but Wachtel said the teams still drew the highest average ticket price in the history of the contest and performed well in merchandise and concessions.
—Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for middling
Dictionary Entries Near middling
Cite this Entry
“Middling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middling. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
middling
1 of 2 adjective
mid·dling
ˈmid-liŋ 
-lən
: of medium size, degree, or quality
middling
adverb
middling
2 of 2 noun1
: any of various products of medium quality or size
2
plural
: a product produced by milling grain
especially
: a product of wheat milling that is used in animal feeds
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