so-so

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English

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Etymology

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From Middle English so so, from Old English swā swā, equivalent to so +‎ so. Compare Dutch zozo (so-so), German soso (so-so), Norwegian så som så (so-so).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈsəʊˌsəʊ/, /ˌsəʊˈsəʊ/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -əʊ, -əʊsəʊ

Adjective

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so-so (not comparable)

  1. (informal) Neither good nor bad; tolerable, passable, indifferent.
    The dessert was pretty good, but the meal was so-so.
    • 1765, [Oliver] Goldsmith, The Haunch of Venison, a Poetical Epistle to Lord Clare, Dublin: [] W. Whitestone, [], published 1776, →OCLC, page 5:
      [I]n ſome Iriſh Houſes, vvhere things are ſo-ſo, / One Gammon of Bacon hangs up for a ſhow; []
    • 1844, John Wilson, Essay on the Genius, and Character of Burns:
      He [Robert Burns] certainly wrote some so-so verses to the Tree of Liberty.

Synonyms

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Translations

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Adverb

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so-so (not comparable)

  1. (informal) Neither very well nor very poorly.
    He performed so-so during the tryouts, and the coach was undecided whether to add him to the team or not.

Synonyms

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Translations

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Anagrams

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