Definition
平庸 (píng yōng) describes something or someone as mediocre in a disapproving way — disappointing because it falls short of what could be good. Unlike the neutral 平凡 (píng fán 'ordinary, commonplace'), 平庸 carries a negative judgment. Compared to 中庸 (zhōng yōng), which can also mean mediocre but has broader philosophical uses, 平庸 is more straightforwardly critical.
adjective
mediocreordinary and unremarkable (often with a negative connotation)
Examples
- 平庸，。Tā de gōngzuò biǎoxiàn hěn píng yōng, suǒyǐ lǎobǎn bú tài mǎnyì.His work performance is mediocre, so the boss is not very satisfied.
- 平庸，。Wǒ bù xiǎng guò píng yōng de shēnghuó, wǒ xiǎng zhuīqiú zìjǐ de mèngxiǎng.I don't want to live a mediocre life; I want to pursue my own dreams.
- 平庸，。Zhè bù diànyǐng qíngjié píng yōng, méi shénme zhídé kàn de.The plot of this movie is mediocre; there's nothing worth watching.
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