English

Adjective

middlebrow ‎(not comparable)

1. (pejorative) Neither highbrow or lowbrow, but somewhere in between.

Usage notes

Generally pejorative, implying pretension and vulgarity – aspiring and appropriating high culture, but not appreciating it. On occasion instead used positively.

Translations

Noun

middlebrow ‎(plural middlebrows)

1. A person or thing that is neither a highbrow or lowbrow, but in between.

Translations

References

• ESC, 2003. Re:highbrow, middlebrow, lowbrow, The Phrase finder.
• Robert Hendrickson, 1997. Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins (New York: Facts on File)