Standard Lemma guide

run-of-the-mill

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Ordinary; not special.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • This isn’t your run-of-the-mill refrigerator; you’ll find the extra features well worth the price.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: common-or-garden, typical, average, medial, basic, bog-standard, common, commonplace, common-and-garden, congruent, consistent, conventional, customary, everyday, expected, garden variety, improminent, mundane, natural, normal, ordinary, par for the course, par, plain, plain vanilla, quotidian, regular, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, standard issue, unexceptional, unremarkable, unstrange, usual, vulgar, wakeaday, workaday

Antonyms: cream of the crop, deluxe, luxe

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

not special in any way

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • run-of-the-mill boxing
  • your run-of-the-mine college graduate
  • a unexceptional an incident as can be found in a lawyer's career

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: run-of-the-mine, mine run, unexceptional

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From 1922; from the fact that product produced by a mill should be uniform and like that of any other similar run.

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: обикнове́н (obiknovén) — ordinary
  • Bulgarian: станда́ртен (standárten) — ordinary
  • Bulgarian: посре́дствен (posrédstven) — ordinary
  • Bulgarian: редови́ (redoví) — ordinary
  • Chinese Mandarin: 普通的 (pǔtōng de) — ordinary
  • Chinese Mandarin: 平凡的 (píngfán de) — ordinary
  • Dutch: doordeweeks — ordinary
  • Dutch: alledaags — ordinary
  • Esperanto: ordinara — ordinary
  • Esperanto: ordinaraj — ordinary
  • Esperanto: kutima — ordinary
  • Esperanto: kutimaj — ordinary
  • Estonian: tavaline — ordinary
  • Estonian: tavapärane — ordinary
  • Finnish: tavallinen — ordinary
  • Finnish: perus- — ordinary
  • Finnish: peruskaura — ordinary
  • French: ordinaire — ordinary
  • German: nullachtfünfzehn — ordinary
  • German: Stangen- — ordinary
  • German: von der Stange — ordinary
  • Hungarian: sima — ordinary
  • Hungarian: középszerű — ordinary
  • Hungarian: átlagos — ordinary
  • Hungarian: hétköznapi — ordinary
  • Hungarian: közönséges — ordinary
  • Icelandic: venjulegur — ordinary
  • Icelandic: hversdagslegur — ordinary
  • Icelandic: fábrotinn — ordinary
  • Icelandic: miðlungs- — ordinary
  • Indonesian: biasa — ordinary
  • Italian: ordinario — ordinary
  • Italian: standard — ordinary
  • Polish: zwyczajny — ordinary
  • Portuguese: ordinário — ordinary
  • Russian: зауря́дный (zaurjádnyj) — ordinary
  • Russian: обы́денный (obýdennyj) — ordinary
  • Russian: обыкнове́нный (obyknovénnyj) — ordinary
  • Russian: обы́чный (obýčnyj) — ordinary
  • Spanish: común y corriente — ordinary
  • Spanish: corriente y moliente — ordinary
  • Spanish: del montón — ordinary
  • Spanish: ordinario — ordinary
  • Spanish: adocenado — ordinary
  • Swedish: ordinär — ordinary
  • Turkish: sıradan — ordinary
  • Turkish: bayağı — ordinary
  • Turkish: olağan — ordinary
  • Turkish: alelade — ordinary
  • Turkish: alışılmış — ordinary
  • Ukrainian: звичайні́сінький (zvyčajnísinʹkyj) — ordinary
  • Ukrainian: аби́який (abýjakyj) — ordinary
  • Ukrainian: пересічний (peresičnyj) — ordinary