banal
ba·nal
adj\bə-ˈnal, ba-, -ˈnäl; bā-ˈnal; ˈbā-nəl\
Definition of BANAL
— ba·nal·ize \bə-ˈna-ˌlīz, ba-, -ˈnä-; bā-ˈna-; ˈbā-nəl-ˌīz\ transitive verb
— ba·nal·ly \bə-ˈnal-lē, ba-, -ˈnäl-; bā-ˈnal-; ˈbā-nəl-(l)ē\ adverb
Examples of BANAL
- He made some banal remarks about the weather.
- The writing was banal but the story was good.
- The more banal, the more commonplace, the more predictable, the triter, the staler, the dumber, the better. —Don DeLillo, Mao II, 1991
- … 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
- 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
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Origin of BANAL
French, from Middle French, of compulsory feudal service, possessed in common, commonplace, from ban
First Known Use: 1825
Related to BANAL
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
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