mixed bag

noun

1

: a miscellaneous collection : assortment

2

: one having both positive and negative qualities or aspects

his performance was a mixed bag

Synonyms

• agglomerate
• agglomeration
• alphabet soup
• assortment
• botch
• clutter
• collage
• crazy quilt
• farrago
• gallimaufry
• grab bag
• gumbo
• hash
• hodgepodge
• hotchpotch
• jambalaya
• jumble
• jungle
• litter
• macédoine
• medley
• mélange
• menagerie
• miscellanea
• miscellany
• mishmash
• montage
• motley
• muddle
• olio
• olla podrida
• omnium-gatherum
• pastiche
• patchwork
• patchwork quilt
• potpourri
• ragbag
• ragout
• rummage
• salad
• salmagundi
• scramble
• shuffle
• smorgasbord
• stew
• tumble
• variety
• welter

Examples of mixed bag in a Sentence

His performance was a mixed bag.

a mixed bag of professional astronomers and amateur enthusiasts attended the conference

Recent Examples on the Web

The psychic was a mixed bag — my friend and several others raved about how spot-on and specific their readings were. —Jenelle Riley, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025

Research shows that both approaches are a mixed bag. —Anjana Susarla, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025

But the narrative itself can be a mixed bag, an ambitious text with some moments of true profundity and others still reaching for meaning. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024

Pet-Friendliness For households with pets, the vacuum’s performance is a mixed bag. —Tony Bradley, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined at sense 1