Dictionary

so-so en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˌsəʊˈsəʊ/
• /ˈsəʊˌsəʊ/
• (US) audio

Etymology

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”).

Meanings

1. (informal, not-comparable) Neither good nor bad; tolerable, passable, indifferent.
   • He [Robert Burns] certainly wrote some so-so verses to the Tree of Liberty. 1844, John Wilson, Essay on the Genius, and Character of Burns:
   • [I]n ſome Iriſh Houſes, vvhere things are ſo-ſo, / One Gammon of Bacon hangs up for a ſhow; […] 1765, [Oliver] Goldsmith, The Haunch of Venison, a Poetical Epistle to Lord Clare, Dublin: […] W. Whitestone, […], published 1776, →OCLC, page 5:
   • The dessert was pretty good, but the meal was so-so.

Deriveds

so-soish

Synonyms

not worth writing home about · pedestrian · crappy · okayish · lackluster · average · middling · fair · unexceptional · so-so · lackluster · whatever · decent · indifferent · mediocre · OK · mid · nothing to write home about · ordinary · comme ci comme ça · no great shakes · middling · meh · meh · shitty · uninspiring · moderate · tolerable · ok-ok · average · comme ci comme ça · mediocre

Translations (44)

bg бива (neither good nor bad) · el έτσι κι έτσι (neither good nor bad) · bg горе-долу (neither good nor bad) · arz نص نص (neither good nor bad) · sq çka (neither good nor bad) · ro așa și așa (neither good nor bad) · cs všelijaký (neither good nor bad) · cmn 馬馬虎虎 /马马虎虎 (neither good nor bad) · ajp مش بطال (neither good nor bad) · nl zozo (neither good nor bad) · fr couci-couça (neither good nor bad) · de so lala (neither good nor bad) · no passe (neither good nor bad) · ca així així (neither good nor bad) · es (yo) me defiendo (neither good nor bad) · gd meadhanach (neither good nor bad) · it così così (neither good nor bad) · la plus minus (neither good nor bad) · he ככה־ככה (neither good nor bad) · pt mais ou menos (neither good nor bad) · fr comme ci comme ça (neither good nor bad) · ru сре́дненький (neither good nor bad) · et nii ja naa (neither good nor bad) · sv sådär (neither good nor bad) · ru та́к себе́ (neither good nor bad) · arz مش بطال (neither good nor bad) · ru ничего́ (neither good nor bad) · es ni fu ni fa (neither good nor bad) · id biasa saja (neither good nor bad) · is svona... (neither good nor bad) · pl taki sobie (neither good nor bad) · et nii või naa (neither good nor bad) · eo iele-trapele (neither good nor bad) · ja まあまあ (neither good nor bad) · bg долу-горе (neither good nor bad) · is svona svona (neither good nor bad) · cy felly felly (neither good nor bad) · ar بَيْنَ بَيْنَ (neither good nor bad) · lou pokapok (neither good nor bad) · mk така-така (neither good nor bad) · pl średni (neither good nor bad) · ajp نص نص (neither good nor bad) · fi niin ja näin (neither good nor bad) · es así así (neither good nor bad)

so-so en · ADV

Pronunciation

• /ˌsəʊˈsəʊ/
• /ˈsəʊˌsəʊ/
• (US) audio

Etymology

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”).

Meanings

1. (informal, not-comparable) 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

passably · moderately · insipidly · indifferently · blandly

Translations (40)

pt mais ou menos (neither well nor poorly) · ja まあまあ (neither well nor poorly) · sh koliko-toliko (neither well nor poorly) · nl zozo (neither well nor poorly) · th งั้น ๆ (neither well nor poorly) · de so lala (neither well nor poorly) · ko 그저 그렇게 (neither well nor poorly) · fr couci-couça (neither well nor poorly) · pt assim, assim (neither well nor poorly) · pt assim assim, assim-assim (neither well nor poorly) · ru ничего́ (neither well nor poorly) · de soso (neither well nor poorly) · pl tak sobie (neither well nor poorly) · ar نُصّ نُصّ (neither well nor poorly) · de so la la (neither well nor poorly) · az elə-belə (neither well nor poorly) · fi niin ja näin (neither well nor poorly) · vi tàm tạm (neither well nor poorly) · es tal cual (neither well nor poorly) · it così così (neither well nor poorly) · th เรื่อย ๆ (neither well nor poorly) · es regular (neither well nor poorly) · es ni fu ni fa (neither well nor poorly) · cmn 馬馬虎虎 /马马虎虎 (neither well nor poorly) · la plus minus (neither well nor poorly) · fr comme ci comme ça (neither well nor poorly) · cy felly felly (neither well nor poorly) · he ככה ככה (neither well nor poorly) · eo iele-trapele (neither well nor poorly) · ro așa și așa (neither well nor poorly) · th เฉย ๆ (neither well nor poorly) · ko 그저 그래요 (neither well nor poorly) · ar نِصْف نِصْف (neither well nor poorly) · ru та́к себе́ (neither well nor poorly) · es así así (neither well nor poorly) · lou pokapok (neither well nor poorly) · sv sådär (neither well nor poorly) · pl średnio (neither well nor poorly) · hu szoszo (neither well nor poorly) · ajp نص نص (neither well nor poorly)