borderline

Everyday

1. (adjective) Only just on one side of a line between two groups or results, so it is hard to decide which: a borderline pass. tree →
2. (noun) A line that marks a border. tree →
3. (medicine) Close to being an illness or problem but not quite. tree →

In the lessons

In school, a borderline mark is just at the pass mark, so the teacher must decide. In everyday life, «that's borderline rude» means almost rude. In health, «borderline high blood pressure».

Examples

• His test score was borderline, so he might need to retake it. tree →
• That joke was borderline mean. tree →
• She was a borderline case for the team. tree →
• The doctor said Grandad's sugar levels are borderline. tree →
• Draw a borderline between the two fields. tree →

Note

In maths terms, borderline means very close to the cut-off number: if the pass mark is 50 and you get 49 or 51, that's borderline. One word.