be average

[bi ˈæv.ər.ɪdʒ]
verb phrase
ser mediano, ser comum, ser ordinário
1. to be of middle quality; not exceptional or outstanding; ordinary
His performance was decent, but nothing special—he tends to be average.
Seu desempenho foi decente, mas nada especial—ele tende a ser mediano.
2. to fall within the normal range or middle ground
The restaurant's food is good, but their service can be average at times.
A comida do restaurante é boa, mas o serviço pode ser comum às vezes.
3. to not stand out from the rest; to be typical
While talented, her grades seem to be average compared to her peers.
Embora talentosa, suas notas parecem ser ordinárias em comparação com seus colegas.
In both American and Brazilian cultures, 'being average' can carry negative connotations in achievement-oriented contexts, while in others it simply means being typical or acceptable. In Brazil, the phrase 'ser mediano' is commonly used in educational and professional settings to describe middle-tier performance.
NYC Slang
be mid, be mid-tier, be nothing special
Synonyms / Sinônimos
be ordinarybe mediocrebe typicalbe standardbe common
Antonyms / Antônimos
be exceptionalbe outstandingbe extraordinarybe superiorbe remarkable

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ser mediano, ser comum
Most common usage in everyday Brazilian Portuguese
Rio de Janeiro
ser fraco, ser chato
Colloquial usage; 'fraco' can mean weak or average performance
São Paulo
ser mediano, ser ordinário
More formal usage in business and academic contexts
Portugal
ser mediano, ser vulgar
'Vulgar' in Portuguese means common or ordinary, not vulgar in English sense

Related Words

averagemediocreordinarystandardtypicalcommon

Related Idioms & Phrases

nothing to write home about
run-of-the-mill
not cut out for greatness
ser mais do mesmo
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