How do you use "Run-of-the-mill" in a sentence?

It was just a run-of-the-mill Tuesday — nothing exciting happened. The hotel was run-of-the-mill, but it was clean and affordable. This isn't a run-of-the-mill job interview — they're testing your creativity.

Run-of-the-mill

Q: What does "Run-of-the-mill" mean?

Ordinary; nothing special or exceptional. Used to describe something that is average, typical, and unremarkable. It's not necessarily negative — just unexceptional. A run-of-the-mill restaurant is adequate but not memorable. A run-of-the-mill day is normal and uneventful.

American Slang Term American ★★★★☆ Common Neutral

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: Ordinary; nothing special or exceptional.

普通的；平淡无奇的；没什么特别的。

Corriente; nada especial ni excepcional.

ごく普通の。特別でも例外的でもないこと。ありふれた。

평범한. 특별하거나 뛰어나지 않은 것. 흔한.

Used to describe something that is average, typical, and unremarkable. It's not necessarily negative — just unexceptional. A run-of-the-mill restaurant is adequate but not memorable. A run-of-the-mill day is normal and uneventful.

用于描述一般的、典型的、毫不起眼的东西。不一定是贬义——只是不出众而已。一家普通的餐厅够用但不值得记住。普通的一天就是平淡无事。

Se usa para describir algo mediocre, típico y anodino. No es necesariamente negativo, simplemente sin nada destacable. Un restaurante del montón es aceptable pero no memorable. Un día corriente es normal y sin incidentes.

平均的で、典型的で、特筆するところのないものを表すのに使う。必ずしも否定的ではなく、単に際立っていないだけ。ありふれたレストランは十分だが記憶に残らない。ありふれた一日は平凡で何事もない日のこと。

평균적이고 전형적이며 특기할 것 없는 것을 묘사할 때 사용한다. 반드시 부정적인 것은 아니고 단지 특별하지 않다는 뜻이다. 평범한 식당은 무난하지만 기억에 남지 않는다. 평범한 하루는 보통이고 별일 없는 날이다.

Examples

It was just a run-of-the-mill Tuesday — nothing exciting happened.
就是普普通通的一个周二——什么有趣的事都没发生。
Fue un martes de lo más corriente: no pasó nada emocionante.
ごく普通の火曜日だった——何も面白いことは起きなかった。
그냥 평범한 화요일이었어—재미있는 일은 없었다.
The hotel was run-of-the-mill, but it was clean and affordable.
酒店很普通，但干净又实惠。
El hotel era del montón, pero estaba limpio y era asequible.
ホテルは可もなく不可もなくだったけど、清潔で手頃だった。
호텔은 특별할 것 없었지만 깨끗하고 가격이 괜찮았다.
This isn't a run-of-the-mill job interview — they're testing your creativity.
这不是一般的面试——他们要考察你的创造力。
Esta no es una entrevista de trabajo cualquiera: están poniendo a prueba tu creatividad.
これはありきたりの面接じゃない——創造力が試されるんだ。
이건 흔한 면접이 아니야—창의력을 시험하는 거야.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: evaluation, description, comparison

Tone: neutral, dismissive

✓ Do Say

It was pretty run-of-the-mill.
It was pretty run-of-the-mill.
Fue bastante del montón.
It was pretty run-of-the-mill.（まあ普通だったよ。）
그냥 평범했어.
Nothing run-of-the-mill about it.
Nothing run-of-the-mill about it.
No tiene nada de corriente.
Nothing run-of-the-mill about it.（全然ありきたりじゃなかったよ。）
전혀 평범하지 않았어.

✗ Don't Say

Calling someone's work 'run-of-the-mill' to their face is an insult, even if you mean 'average'
当面说别人的作品很普通是一种侮辱，即使你只是想表达'一般'
Llamar al trabajo de alguien 'del montón' a la cara es un insulto, aunque quieras decir 'normal'
誰かの仕事を面と向かって「ありふれている」と言うのは、「平均的」のつもりでも侮辱になる
누군가의 작업을 면전에서 '평범하다'고 하면 '보통'이라는 뜻이라도 모욕이 된다

Origin & History

From manufacturing — the 'run of the mill' referred to the general output of a textile or lumber mill before it was sorted for quality. Products that hadn't been inspected or graded were 'run of the mill.' Common in American English since the early 1900s.

Cultural Context

Era: 1900s-present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal