das Mittelmaß
Translation
mediocrity, average
Examples
Seine Leistung war nur Mittelmaß.
His performance was just average.
Er will sich nicht mit Mittelmaß zufriedengeben.
He doesn't want to settle for mediocrity.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) is average/mediocre His work is just average.
to settle for ((sth.)) He doesn't want to settle for mediocrity.
Similar Words
Synonyms: Durchschnitt (average), Mittelmäßigkeit (mediocrity); Antonyms: Exzellenz (excellence), Spitze (peak)
Etymology
From 'Mittel' (middle) + 'Maß' (measure). It literally means 'middle measure', implying something that is neither good nor bad.
Memory Tips
Think of it as a 'middle measure'. It's not at the top, not at the bottom, just in the average, mediocre middle.