ordinary
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++or·di·na·ry /ˈɔːdənəri $ ˈɔːrdəneri/ ●●● S1 W2 adjective 1 ORDINARYaverage, common, or usual, not different or special 普通的，平常的，通常的 It’s just an ordinary camera. 这只是普通的相机。 The book is about ordinary people. 这本书描写的是普通人。 Art should be part of ordinary life. 艺术应该是日常生活的一部分。 It is good because it is written in friendly, ordinary language. 它很不错，因为它是用平易近人的日常语言写的。out of the ordinary (=unusual or unexpected) 不寻常，出乎意料 Anything out of the ordinary made her nervous. 任何稍不寻常的事都会使她感到惶恐不安。in the ordinary way British English (=as normal) 一般，通常 The money is taxed as income in the ordinary way. 这笔钱作为收入按正常方式扣税。somebody/something is no ordinary ... (=used to say someone or something is very special) 某人/某物可不是一般的… This is no ordinary car. 这可不是普通的汽车。 Ruiz is no ordinary prisoner. 鲁伊斯可不是一般的囚犯。► see thesaurus at normal2 ORDINARYnot particularly good or impressive 平淡无奇的，平庸的 I thought the paintings were pretty ordinary. 我认为这些画相当平庸。 —ordinariness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
ordinary• The house was clean and well kept, but very ordinary.• He wore an ordinary business suit with a white shirt and tie.• Clearly selling a second-hand car without an ignition key or registration document would not be acting in the ordinary course of business.• But I am just an ordinary girl, with ordinary parents and went to an ordinary school with 2,000 other kids.• It's just an ordinary house in an ordinary street.• ordinary household items• Gillman's known for her photographs of ordinary household items.• She was a serious young woman, rather ordinary in appearance.• The shares of ordinary insurers would be cheap.• It's a small, ordinary little village, its only claim to fame the castle, and the burial mounds.• It's surprising that a girl as attractive as Sarah is going out with someone so ordinary looking.• But, for Ricardo, the system survived not because it served the ordinary man.• We are praying that very ordinary people will be called to a very special task.• Housing prices in New York are out of reach for ordinary people.• I thought it was a pretty ordinary performance.• Can you get connected to the Internet through an ordinary telephone line?• Never despise ordinary things - the ordinary in yourself or in others.• He knew what was happening in the boathouse and it was too ordinary to convert into anything exciting.• an ordinary workdaysomebody/something is no ordinary ...• You fire it up just like a normal car, but that's when you realise the Axiam is no ordinary car.• For he is no ordinary man.• Indisputably, White House service is no ordinary opportunity.• Mr RuizMassieu is no ordinary prisoner.• But the Red Lion at Chalgrove is no ordinary pub.• But this is no ordinary rehearsal.• This sounds expensive but this is no ordinary representative of the appellation.Origin ordinary (1300-1400) Latin ordinarius, from ordo; → ORDER1or·di·na·ry adjectiveChineseSyllable
usual, or or different average, Corpus special common, not
ordinary
or‧di‧na‧ry S1 W2 /ˈɔːdənəri $ ˈɔːrdəneri/
adjective1. average, common, or usual, not different or special:
It’s just an ordinary camera.
The book is about ordinary people.
Art should be part of ordinary life.
It is good because it is written in friendly, ordinary language.
out of the ordinary (=unusual or unexpected)
Anything out of the ordinary made her nervous.
in the ordinary way British English (=as normal)
The money is taxed as income in the ordinary way.
somebody/something is no ordinary ... (=used to say someone or something is very special)
This is no ordinary car.
Ruiz is no ordinary prisoner.
2. not particularly good or impressive:
I thought the paintings were pretty ordinary.
—ordinariness noun [uncountable]
▪ normal usual, typical, and as you would expect it to be: Is this cold weather normal for the time of year? | It had been another normal working day in the office.
▪ordinary (also regular especially American English) not special, unusual, or different from normal: They lived in an ordinary three-bedroomed house. | It looks like an ordinary car, but it uses solar power. | Would you like a regular salad or a Caesar salad? | I just want an ordinary bicycle, not a mountain bike.
▪average [only before noun] around the usual level or amount: She is of average height. | He is of above average intelligence. | The average price of a pint of milk has gone up.
▪standard normal – used about methods of doing something, or about the size, shape, features etc of products: It’s standard practice to X-ray hand-baggage at most airports. | We stock shoes in all the standard sizes.
▪routine used about things that are done regularly as part of a series of things: The fault was discovered during a routine check of the plane. | routine tasks such as shopping and cooking
▪everyday [only before noun] used about things that happen or that you use as part of normal life: He painted scenes of everyday life in France. | Sally was still dressed in her everyday clothes.
▪common used about birds and plants that are of the most usual type, and in the phrase the common people (=people who are not rich and powerful): the common goldfish | an alliance between the aristocracy and the common people
▪conventional [only before noun] of the kind that is usually used – used when comparing this with a different or special type: The engine is more efficient than a conventional diesel engine. | the drugs used in conventional medicine | conventional weapons (=not nuclear, chemical, or biological) | conventional ovens and microwaves
or‧di‧na‧ry S1 W2 /ˈɔːdənəri $ ˈɔːrdəneri/
adjective1. average, common, or usual, not different or special: out of the ordinary (=unusual or unexpected)
in the ordinary way British English (=as normal)
somebody/something is no ordinary ... (=used to say someone or something is very special)
2. not particularly good or impressive:
—ordinariness noun [uncountable]
| THESAURUS |
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
