ORDINARY


Meaning of ORDINARY in English

INDEX:

1. not special or unusual

2. very ordinary, and without any interesting or unusual features

3. ordinary people

4. normal behaviour or feelings

5. the normal situation

6. not ordinary/not normal

7. not ordinary/not normal in a very bad way

RELATED WORDS

opposite

↑ UNUSUAL

↑ STRANGE

ordinary and not interesting or exciting : ↑ BORING/BORED

see also

↑ USUALLY

↑ COMMON

↑ USED TO/ACCUSTOMED TO

↑ CONVENTIONAL/UNCONVENTIONAL

↑ TYPICAL

↑ SPECIAL

↑ CRAZY

◆◆◆

1. not special or unusual

▷ ordinary /ˈɔːʳd ə nriǁ-d ə neri/ [adjective usually before noun]

ordinary things are not special or unusual :

▪ It’s just an ordinary house in an ordinary street.

▪ He wore an ordinary business suit with a white shirt and tie.

▪ Can you get connected to the Internet through an ordinary telephone line?

▪ Gillman’s known for her photographs of ordinary household items.

▷ normal /ˈnɔːʳm ə l/ [adjective]

something that is normal is just as you would expect it to be, because it is not special or different :

▪ The new Ford looks like any normal car, but it has a special advanced engine.

▪ January 2nd is a public holiday in Scotland, but in England it is a normal working day.

▪ Once the pain has gone away, you can resume your normal activities.

perfectly normal

▪ It was a perfectly normal flight until the plane suddenly started to shake.

it’s normal

▪ It may have seemed unusually cold recently but experts say it’s normal for this time of year.

above/below normal

▪ Tides will be six feet above normal this afternoon.

normally [adverb]

▪ Now the strike is over, and trains are running normally.

▷ average /ˈæv ə rɪdʒ/ [adjective only before noun]

an average thing is a typical example of a particular type of thing :

▪ The average bagel has 190 calories.

▪ In an average week I watch about 20 hours of TV.

▷ standard /ˈstændəʳd/ [adjective usually before noun]

normal - use this especially about products or methods that are the most usual type, without any special features :

standard model/size/shape/pattern

not special

▪ We make shoes in all standard sizes.

▪ Prices start at $15,489 for the standard model.

standard practice/procedure

the way a job is usually done

▪ All hand-baggage was X-rayed - this is now standard practice at most airports.

▪ Drug tests are a standard procedure following train accidents.

standard English/pronunciation/spelling

normally accepted as correct

▪ Students are encouraged to learn standard English because this is what they will need to know in the business world.

▷ routine /ruːˈtiːn/ [adjective usually before noun]

use this about something that is done regularly as part of the normal system and not because of any special problem :

routine check/inspection/examination etc

▪ The fault was discovered during a routine check of the plane.

▪ Police found the heroin during a routine inspection of a ship.

▪ It was on a Saturday 15 years ago that, during a routine visit to the doctor, I learned I had cancer.

▷ conventional /kənˈvenʃ ə nəl/ [adjective only before noun]

a conventional method, piece of equipment, weapon etc is of the normal type that has been used for a long time - use this especially when you are comparing one thing with something else that is new or different :

▪ A microwave cooks food much faster than a conventional oven.

▪ The hospital provides both conventional and alternative medical treatments.

conventional weapons/arms/bombs etc

not nuclear weapons

▪ a new proposal to limit conventional weapons in Europe

▷ day-to-day /ˌdeɪ tə ˈdeɪ/ [adjective only before noun]

use this about the ordinary work, activities, and problems that happen every day :

▪ As Managing Director, I am responsible for the day-to-day management of the company.

▪ Reeve decided to immerse himself in the day-to-day affairs of his company until business improved.

▷ regular /ˈregjɑləʳ/ [adjective only before noun] especially American

ordinary but good enough for a particular purpose :

▪ If they don’t have Tylenol, just get me regular aspirin.

▪ Even though the dye is quite strong, a regular shampoo will remove it.

▷ mainstream /ˈmeɪnstriːm/ [adjective only before noun]

mainstream books, ideas, organizations etc are not strange or extreme in any way, and are therefore popular with or suitable for most ordinary people :

▪ After starting out as a romance novelist, she decided to try writing mainstream fiction.

▪ Most disabled students are integrated into the mainstream educational system.

▪ The mainstream political parties are losing support to smaller, more radical organizations.

▷ everyday /ˈevrideɪ/ [adjective only before noun]

ordinary, usual, or happening every day :

▪ Noland makes sculptures out of everyday objects.

▪ Arthritis made it difficult for him to do everyday things like take out the garbage or mow the lawn.

▪ The first week of the course is spent teaching students English phrases needed for everyday life.

2. very ordinary, and without any interesting or unusual features

▷ ordinary /ˈɔːʳd ə nriǁ-d ə neri/ [adjective]

▪ The house was clean and well kept, but very ordinary.

▪ It’s surprising that a girl as attractive as Sarah is going out with someone so ordinary looking.

▷ nondescript /ˈnɒndɪˌskrɪpt, ˈnɒndəˌskrɪptǁˌnɑːndə̇ˈskrɪpt/ [adjective]

a person or object that is nondescript is not at all interesting to look at because they have no special or unusual features :

▪ The only people in the waiting room were a couple of rather nondescript elderly ladies.

▪ The detective drives a nondescript blue Ford, perfect for observing people unnoticed.

▪ They were an average family living a boring life in a nondescript little house in the suburbs.

▷ bland /blænd/ [adjective]

very ordinary and not containing anything interesting, shocking etc, often in order to avoid offending or upsetting anyone :

▪ The language in her speech was deliberately bland.

▪ Most job descriptions are bland, boring and totally lacking in colour.

▪ The college’s bland appearance made it seem a little unfriendly.

▷ unremarkable /ˌʌnrɪˈmɑːʳkəb ə l◂/ [adjective]

someone or something that is unremarkable is very ordinary and not especially different from most other people or things :

▪ She had had just one adventure in her otherwise unremarkable life.

▪ Josh was, I thought, a pleasant but unremarkable young man.

3. ordinary people

▷ ordinary /ˈɔːʳd ə nriǁ-d ə neri-/ [plural noun]

ordinary people are people who are not rich, famous, or powerful :

ordinary people/folk

▪ Politicians don’t care about ordinary people.

▪ In the eighteenth century ordinary people had no access whatsoever to education.

ordinary guy/man/woman etc

▪ In the film ‘Phenomenon’, John Travolta plays an ordinary guy who becomes a genius overnight.

▷ average /ˈæv ə rɪdʒ/ [adjective only before noun]

an average person is a typical example of a person :

▪ The average family spends about £50 a week on food.

▪ Foreign affairs do not usually interest the average voter.

▪ There is concern that twenty years from now, the average American won’t be able to afford to send his or her children to college.

▷ the man/woman in the street /ðə ˌmæn, ˌwʊmən ɪn ðə ˈstriːt/ [noun phrase]

a typical person who has ordinary opinions, likes the same things as most other people etc -- used especially by journalists :

▪ The advertising industry has to know exactly what the man in the street is thinking.

▪ This latest legislation will not really affect the man or woman in the street.

▷ the general public /ðə ˌdʒen ə rəl ˈpʌblɪk/ [noun phrase]

all the ordinary people in a society or country, especially those without special knowledge of a subject :

▪ Very little official information is given to the general public.

▪ She is a poet who is admired by other poets but not well-known to the general public.

▪ Organizers of the President’s funeral plan a large ceremony for the general public, and a small, private affair for his family.

▷ the rank and file /ðə ˌræŋk ən ˈfaɪl/ [noun phrase]

the ordinary members of an organization, especially a political organization, when compared with its leaders :

▪ The rank and file has lost confidence in the party leadership.

▪ conflict between union leaders and the rank and file at an Alfa Romeo factory

rank-and-file [adjective only before noun]

▪ rank-and-file members

▷ the grass roots /ðə ˌgrɑːs ˈruːtsǁ-ˌgræs-/ [singular noun]

the ordinary members at the bottom of a political or religious organization :

▪ The decisions were taken by the party leadership without consulting the grass roots.

grassroots /ˈgrɑːsruːtsǁˈgræs-/ [adjective only before noun]

▪ a grassroots campaign

▪ The party is in some difficulty, but still has grassroots support.

4. normal behaviour or feelings

▷ normal /ˈnɔːʳm ə l/ [adjective]

if a person is normal, there is nothing strange about them, and they are mentally and physically healthy :

▪ Any normal boy of his age would be interested in football.

▪ Her breathing was normal, but she had a very high temperature.

it is normal (for somebody) to do something

▪ It is quite normal for children to be afraid of the dark.

▪ When you start a new job, it’s normal to feel somewhat overwhelmed.

perfectly normal

completely normal

▪ They seemed like a perfectly normal family.

normally [adverb]

▪ Even a few hours before he committed suicide, he seemed to be behaving perfectly normally.

▷ natural /ˈnætʃər ə l/ [adjective]

feelings that are natural are what you would normally expect in a particular situation, so there is no need to feel worried or embarrassed about them :

▪ Anger is a natural reaction when you lose someone you love.

it is natural (for somebody) to do something

▪ I suppose it’s natural for a mother to feel sad when her children leave home.

▪ It isn’t natural for a child to be so quiet.

perfectly/quite natural

completely natural

▪ It’s perfectly natural to grieve for the loss of a pet.

it’s only natural

spoken

▪ Of course Jean misses her boyfriend - it’s only natural.

it’s only natural that

▪ It’s only natural that people who spend a lot of time around computers either love them or hate them.

▷ conventional /kənˈvenʃ ə nəl/ [adjective]

conventional people, behaviour, and opinions are the kind that most people in society think are normal and socially acceptable, although some people think they are boring and old-fashioned :

▪ My mother was very conventional - she didn’t approve of my hippie lifestyle.

▪ a young man with conventional tastes in clothes and music

conventional wisdom

the opinion that most people consider to be normal and right

▪ Conventional wisdom holds that more money for education means better schools for children.

conventionally [adverb]

▪ She was dressed very conventionally in a rather dull grey suit.

▷ it’s human nature (to do something) /ɪts ˌhjuːmən ˈneɪtʃəʳ (tə duː something )/ spoken

use this to say that is it normal for people to want to do something :

▪ It’s human nature to want what we don’t have.

5. the normal situation

▷ get back to normal/return to normal /get ˌbæk tə ˈnɔːʳm ə l, rɪˌtɜːʳn tə ˈnɔʳːm ə l/ [verb phrase]

if a situation gets back to normal or returns to normal, it becomes normal again after a period when it was not normal :

▪ After the war it took a long time for things to get back to normal.

▪ The strike has caused serious problems, but we hope bus services will quickly return to normal.

▷ normality also normalcy American /nɔːʳˈmælɪti, nɔːʳˈmæləti, ˈnɔːʳm ə lsi/ [uncountable noun] written

a situation in which everything is normal and exactly how you would expect it to be :

▪ The children soon settled down once normality was re-established.

▪ Both leaders say they hope the relationship between their two countries will be restored to normality.

▪ The town had a cheerful air of normalcy despite the extra policemen everywhere.

6. not ordinary/not normal

▷ special /ˈspeʃ ə l/ [adjective]

not ordinary, but more important, interesting, or impressive than usual :

▪ Tomorrow is a very special day for us - it’s our first wedding anniversary.

▪ Is there any special reason why I should let you borrow my car?

▪ Lianne’s doctor put her on a special diet and told her to exercise regularly.

▪ She had a special talent for learning languages.

something/anything/nothing special

▪ ‘Are you doing anything this weekend?’ ‘No, nothing special.’

special occasion

an important social event or celebration

▪ I only wear this suit on special occasions, like weddings.

▷ no ordinary /nəʊ ˈɔːʳd ə nriǁ-d ə neri/ [determiner]

not at all ordinary, but very unusual, very impressive etc :

▪ As soon as I got there, I realized that this was no ordinary family gathering.

▪ The hundreds of reporters gathered outside the courtroom were a reminder that this was no ordinary trial.

7. not ordinary/not normal in a very bad way

▷ abnormal /æbˈnɔːʳm ə l/ [adjective usually before noun]

very different from what is normal, in a way that is strange, worrying, or dangerous :

▪ abnormal behaviour that may be a sign of mental illness

▪ an abnormal chest x-ray

▪ El Nino is caused by abnormal amounts of warm water in the Pacific Ocean.

it is abnormal (for somebody) to do something

▪ My parents thought it was abnormal for a boy to be interested in ballet.

abnormally [adverb]

▪ abnormally low blood pressure

▪ She became abnormally fascinated by death.

▪ Snow this early in the season could mean we’ll have an abnormally cold winter.

abnormality /ˌæbnɔːˈmælɪti, ˌæbnɔːˈmælətiǁ-nər-/ [countable/uncountable noun]

▪ The drug was found to cause genetic abnormalities in unborn children.

▪ The tests will show if there is any abnormality in your nervous system.

▷ unnatural /ʌnˈnætʃ ə rəl/ [adjective]

different from normal human behaviour in a way that seems morally wrong :

▪ unnatural acts

▪ In some countries, it’s considered unnatural for women with families to want to work outside the home.

▪ Brown spoke out against what he considered the unnatural lifestyles of unmarried couples who live together.

unnaturally [adverb]

▪ Police allege that Ellis cruelly and unnaturally treated the two women in her care.

▷ deviant /ˈdiːviənt/ [adjective] formal

deviant behaviour or actions are considered to be very strange and morally unacceptable -- often used about sexual or criminal behaviour :

▪ The magazine shows people engaging in deviant sexual acts.

▪ Certain practices that once were condemned as deviant are now considered fairly normal.

Longman Activator English vocab.      Английский словарь Longman активатор .