mediocrity

/ˌmiːdiˈɒkrəti/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌmiːdiˈɑːkrəti/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌmē-dē-ˈä-krə-tē/ (ame, mw)

mediocrity — 名詞

  • mediocritysingular
  • mediocritiesplural

1. the condition of being only ordinary or average, noticeably lacking any special

1.名詞B2
釋義

平庸；平凡

僅達普通標準，缺乏傑出特質的狀態

the condition of being only ordinary or average, noticeably lacking any special quality, talent, or excellence — for example, when a piece of work meets the minimum standard but never rises to something impressive.

例句

After three years at the sales department, Mei-Lin grew tired of the culture of mediocrity that never demanded better results.

在業務部待了三年後，Mei-Lin 開始厭倦那種從不要求更好業績的平庸文化。

collocation: culture of mediocrity

The athletic programme had slipped into mediocrity — coaches repeated the same drills year after year without any improvement.

那個體育項目已陷入平庸——教練年復一年重複同樣的訓練內容，毫無進步。

collocation: slipped into mediocrity

同義詞
  • ordinariness

    more neutral tone; can describe something acceptably typical rather than falling short

  • averageness

    statistical or factual; focuses on being near the middle of a scale

  • inferiority

    stronger negative connotation — implies being below the acceptable standard, not just average

反義詞
  • excellence

    the quality of being outstanding or exceptionally good

  • distinction

    the quality of being especially notable or impressive

文法句型

mediocrity of [something]

sink/slip into mediocrity

用法筆記

Usually uncountable and used with a disapproving tone. Commonly appears in phrases describing institutions, systems, or work environments that tolerate or reward average performance instead of pursuing excellence.

常見錯誤

❌The mediocrity of her presentation was praised by everyone.
✅The mediocrity of her presentation disappointed the whole team.
💡'mediocrity' describes average/poor quality, so positive reactions do not make sense with it.
❌He showed great mediocrity in the competition.
✅He showed alarming mediocrity in the competition.
💡avoid pairing 'mediocrity' with positive modifiers like 'great'; it is inherently a negative quality.

2. a person whose skills, performance, or output is unimpressive — they do what is

2.名詞B2
釋義

庸才

能力或表現平平、無突出之處的人

a person whose skills, performance, or output is unimpressive — they do what is required but produce nothing that stands out as especially good, original, or excellent.

例句

The hiring committee rejected the confident talker as a mere mediocrity who had never built anything from scratch.

招聘委員會拒絕了那位說話充滿自信的應徵者，認為他只不過是個庸才，從未從零開始打造過任何成果。

pattern: dismiss [someone] as a mediocrity

Although the other applicants brought bold ideas, the board chose a safe mediocrity who would follow orders without question.

儘管其他應徵者帶來了大膽的點子，董事會卻選擇了一個安於平庸的人，他會乖乖服從命令而不提出疑問。

collocation: a safe mediocrity

同義詞
  • nobody

    emphasises lack of fame or importance rather than lack of ability; less harsh

  • lightweight

    informal; suggests someone lacks depth, seriousness, or influence

  • second-rater

    more old-fashioned; explicitly places someone below the top tier of ability

反義詞
  • genius

    someone with exceptional intellectual or creative ability

  • star

    someone who excels notably in their field

文法句型

a [adjective] mediocrity

dismiss [someone] as a mediocrity

用法筆記

Countable and often dismissive in tone. The plural 'mediocrities' refers to a group of such people. Typically modified by adjectives that reinforce the judgment, such as 'mere,' 'safe,' 'rank,' or 'complete.'

常見錯誤

❌Einstein was a mediocrity in physics.
✅Einstein was a genius in physics.
💡calling someone world-class a 'mediocrity' contradicts the word's meaning of being below average.
❌She is a mediocrity, winning awards every year.
✅She is a mediocrity who never wins anything.
💡the context must match the negative evaluation; winning awards indicates high ability, not mediocrity.