banal

ba·nal

adjective \bə-ˈnal, ba-, -ˈnäl; bā-ˈnal; ˈbā-n^əl\

Definition of BANAL

: lacking originality, freshness, or novelty : trite

— ba·nal·ize \bə-ˈna-ˌlīz, ba-, -ˈnä-; bā-ˈna-; ˈbā-n^əl-ˌīz\ transitive verb

— ba·nal·ly \bə-ˈnal-lē, ba-, -ˈnäl-; bā-ˈnal-; ˈbā-n^əl-(l)ē\ adverb

Examples of BANAL

1. He made some banal remarks about the weather.
2. The writing was banal but the story was good.
3. The more banal, the more commonplace, the more predictable, the triter, the staler, the dumber, the better. —Don DeLillo, Mao II, 1991
4. … it seemed to me that computers have been used in ways that are salutary, in ways that are dangerous, banal and cruel, and in ways that seem harmless if a little silly. —Tracy Kidder, The Soul of a New Machine, 1981
5. The instructor's script is banal, relying heavily on images of waves on a beach or clouds in the sky. —Maxine Kumin, “Wintering Over,” 1979, in In Deep, 1987

Origin of BANAL

French, from Middle French, of compulsory feudal service, possessed in common, commonplace, from ban

First Known Use: 1825

Related to BANAL

Synonyms

wishy–washy, flat, insipid, milk-and-water, namby-pamby, watery

Antonyms

fresh, new, novel, original, unclichéd, unhackneyed

Related Words

unexciting, uninspiring, unrewarding; bland, boring, drab, dreary, dry, dull, heavy, humdrum, jading, leaden, lifeless, monotonous, pedestrian, ponderous, tedious, tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, vapid, wearisome, weary, wearying; inane; innocuous, inoffensive; mild, soft, subdued, tame, weak; common, commonplace, ordinary, stale, unexceptional

Near Antonyms

piquant, poignant, pungent, racy, spicy; meaty, substantial; entertaining, exciting, galvanizing, inspiring, invigorating, thrilling

See Synonym Discussion at insipid

Rhymes with BANAL

cabal, canal, Chagall, chorale, copal, corral, decal, fal-lal, grand mal, joual, La Salle, locale, mescal, morale, nopal, pall-mall, pascal, Pascal, percale, quetzal, salal, serval, vinal

ba·nal

adjective \bə-ˈnal, ba-, -ˈnȧl; bā-ˈnal; ˈbān-^əl\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of BANAL

: of a common or ordinary kind <banal skin organisms> <a banal inflammation>