凡庸|ぼんようbon'you[0]heiban (flat)

1. na-adjective, no-adjectivemediocre; ordinary; commonplace; banal

• Synonym平凡へいぼんNeutralPlain and unremarkable; covers lives, days and the like, usually neutral or mildly negative, while 「凡庸」 is clearly derogatory and mostly judges ability.
• Synonym凡ぼんNeutralA single character meaning ordinary or mediocre, mostly seen in compounds like 「凡人」「凡打」.
• Synonym並大抵なみたいていNeutralUsually with a negative, as in 「並大抵の努力ではできない」, meaning beyond ordinary effort.
• Synonym普通ふつうNeutralThe everyday word for normal or ordinary; neutral, with no hint of a put-down.
• SynonymありふれたNeutralFound everywhere, as in 「ありふれた話」; stresses how common something is.
• Synonym人並みひとなみNeutralOn a par with ordinary people, as in 「人並みの生活」; often carries a satisfied nuance.
• Synonym世間並みせけんなみNeutralAt the general level of society, as in 「世間並みの給料」.
• Synonym凡常ぼんじょうWrittenA written/formal word, rarely used; plain and ordinary, without 「凡庸」's put-down of ability.
• Synonym凡俗ぼんぞくWrittenWritten/formal and dismissive; mediocre and vulgar, and can also mean the common run of people.
• Synonym庸劣ようれつWrittenWritten/formal and very rare; mediocre and inferior, more strongly derogatory than 「凡庸」.
• Related尋常じんじょうNeutralMostly used in the negative 「尋常ではない」, meaning extraordinary.
• Related月並みつきなみNeutralHackneyed and stale; judges expressions or ideas, as in 「月並みな言葉」.
• Related通俗つうぞくNeutralPopular and easy to understand, mainly for artistic or literary works; does not judge ability.
• Related陳腐ちんぷNeutralStale and dated, as in 「陳腐な表現」; stresses being worn out by overuse.
• Related凡愚ぼんぐWrittenWritten/formal and dismissive; an ordinary, dull-witted person, used in self-deprecation or criticism.
• Related何の変哲もないなんのへんてつもないNeutralA set phrase for something with nothing special about it; stresses the thing's own plainness and does not judge ability.
• Related尋常一様じんじょういちようNeutralA four-character word, mostly in the negative 「尋常一様ではない」 to mean out of the ordinary.
• Related十人並みじゅうにんなみNeutralAverage in looks or ability, as in 「十人並みの器量」; gentler in tone than 「凡庸」.
• Related決まりきったきまりきったNeutralFormulaic and stereotyped; stresses being fixed and unvarying.
• Related平俗へいぞくWrittenWritten/formal; plain and unrefined, and can also describe writing that is easy to understand.
• RelatedありきたりNeutralCommon and unoriginal, as in 「ありきたりの答え」.
• Antonym非凡ひぼんNeutralAntonym: outstanding and exceptional, as in 「非凡な才能」.

For everyday 'ordinary', say 「普通」 or 「平凡」. Use 「凡庸」 to criticize mediocre talent and lack of achievement, as in 「凡庸な指導者」. For hackneyed expressions or ideas, 「月並み」 and 「陳腐」 fit better.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 変かわった性質せいしつや優すぐれた性質せいしつを持もたないこと。ありふれていて、功績こうせきや魅力みりょくが小ちいさいこと。