so-so

/ˈsoʊ ˈsoʊ/
average or mediocre

The food at the restaurant was so-so.

The food was neither good nor bad; it was average.


informal

of average or moderate quality; neither good nor bad

His performance in the exam was so-so.

His exam results were neither excellent nor poor.

The movie was so-so, not worth the hype.

The movie was average and did not meet expectations.

Often used to express mild dissatisfaction or indifference.

Collocations

so-so performancean average or mediocre performanceso-so resultan average or mediocre outcome

Related Phrases

not badphrase
better than average
pretty goodphrase
better than average

Pro Tip

Usage Context

Use 'so-so' to express mild dissatisfaction or indifference in casual conversations.

Gold Rule

Avoid Formal Use

'So-so' is informal and should not be used in formal writing or professional settings.

Word Origin

Derived from the repetition of 'so' to emphasize mediocrity.

Usage Notes

Commonly used in informal contexts to describe something that is neither good nor bad.

Word Breakdown

so
to a certain extent
root
+
so
to a certain extent
root
English Dictionary