adj
borderline
BOR-d-lyn
adj
1
Not clearly on one side or the other; right at the edge of acceptable, safe, or normal.
"His comment was borderline offensive."
"Her test score was borderline — just enough to pass."
How to Use Borderline
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRight on the edge between two categories — not quite one thing, not quite the other.
Common pairings
borderline case
borderline rude
a borderline decision
Word Forms
more borderline comparative, borderlined past tense, borderlines singular, most borderline superlative
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His comment was _____ offensive.
Etymology
From "border" + "line," originally describing a line marking a boundary.