In Chinese culture, there is immense social and historical pressure to achieve and excel. Concepts like 出人头地 (chū rén tóu dì)—“to stand out from one's peers”—are deeply ingrained aspirations. This is fueled by a history of hyper-competitive imperial examinations (科举 kējǔ) and the modern-day college entrance exam (高考 gāokǎo), where success is seen as a duty to one's family. Therefore, to be labeled 平庸 (píngyōng) is often a harsh criticism. It implies not just a lack of talent, but potentially a lack of effort, ambition, or diligence. It's seen as a state to be actively avoided. A useful comparison is to the Western concept of “living an ordinary life.” In the West, choosing a simple, quiet, “ordinary” life can be viewed as a humble and respectable choice. In China, while the similar-sounding word `平凡 (píngfán)` can sometimes carry this noble, quiet connotation, 平庸 (píngyōng) never does. It is almost exclusively a negative judgment. The recent “lying flat” (躺平 tǎng píng) movement, where young people reject the societal rat race, can be seen as a counter-cultural rebellion against the intense pressure to avoid being `平庸`.
`平庸` is used to express disappointment or criticism. It's a word you use when something fails to meet a standard of excellence.
The connotation is consistently negative. It's a word that judges, and it almost always implies that “better” was possible but not achieved.
The most common mistake for English speakers is treating `平庸 (píngyōng)` as a neutral synonym for “ordinary” or “common.” It is not.
Never use `平庸` to describe a typical day or a standard object unless you want to say it was disappointingly bland and unmemorable.