banal

1 of 2

adjective

ba·​nal bə-ˈnal 

ba-, 

-ˈnäl 

bā-ˈnal;

ˈbā-nᵊl 

: lacking originality, freshness, or novelty : trite

The writing was banal, but the story was good.

We've all gotten mired in banal small talk at some point.

—Sue Shellenbarger

The words Eliza sings are banal, but the sound behind them is the force of destiny.

—Charles McNulty

banalize

bə-ˈna-ˌlīz 

ba-, 

-ˈnä-;

bā-ˈna-;

ˈbā-nᵊl-ˌīz

transitive verb

banally

bə-ˈnal-lē 

ba-, 

-ˈnäl-;

bā-ˈnal-;

ˈbā-nᵊl-(l)ē

adverb

banalize

2 of 2

transitive verb

ba·​nal·​ize

variants also British banalise

bə-ˈna-ˌlīz 

ba-, 

-ˈnä-;

bā-ˈna-;

ˈbā-nᵊl-ˌīz

-ed/-ing/-s

: to make banal

banalized the art … by mass-producing a few popular designs

—Bernard Leach

banalization noun

also British banalisation

bə-ˈna-lə-ˌzā-shən, 

-ˌlī-, 

ba-, 

-ˈnä-;

bā-ˈna-;

ˈbā-nᵊl-ə-ˌzā-, 

-ˌī-ˌzā-

"Everyone knows" is the invocation of the cliché and the beginning of the banalization of experience …

—Philip Roth, The Human Stain, 2001

… the banalization of life through modern consumerism … .

—Francis Fukuyama, The End of History and the Last Man, 1992

Did you know?

How do you pronounce banal?

There are several pronunciations of banal, but the three most common are \BAY-nul\, \buh-NAHL\, and \buh-NAL\ (which rhymes with canal). The earliest pronunciation given in our dictionaries is the now-unused \BAN-ul\ (rhymes with flannel); it is attested to in our dictionaries back to the 1800s, but has dropped out of use. \BAY-nul\ is the next oldest pronunciation. The more recent \buh-NAL\ and \buh-NAHL\ came about through French influence, since banal was borrowed into English from French, and those two pronunciations are closer to the French pronunciation of banal. All three pronunciations are acceptable in educated speech; \buh-NAL\ is currently the most common, followed by \BAY-nul\ and then \buh-NAHL\. There is no reason to condemn any of them as incorrect.

Synonyms of banal

Adjective

• boring
• bland
• insipid
• dull
• tiring

Choose the Right Synonym for banal

insipid, vapid, flat, jejune, banal, inane mean devoid of qualities that make for spirit and character.

insipid implies a lack of sufficient taste or savor to please or interest.

an insipid romance with platitudes on every page

vapid suggests a lack of liveliness, force, or spirit.

an exciting story given a vapid treatment

flat applies to things that have lost their sparkle or zest.

although well-regarded in its day, the novel now seems flat

jejune suggests a lack of rewarding or satisfying substance.

a jejune and gassy speech

banal stresses the complete absence of freshness, novelty, or immediacy.

a banal tale of unrequited love

inane implies a lack of any significant or convincing quality.

an inane interpretation of the play

Examples of banal in a Sentence

Adjective

The more banal, the more commonplace, the more predictable, the triter, the staler, the dumber, the better. —Don DeLillo, Mao II, 1991

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

… 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

He made some banal remarks about the weather.

The writing was banal but the story was good.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Yet despite their cultural staying power, power ballads have historically received little scholarly attention, in part because they are often dismissed as schlocky and banal. —Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 22 May 2026

Perhaps, but Alonso’s attentive gaze reworks the meaning of excitement such that a banal exchange with the nearby farmhand, and a drive into the nearby village, provide minor thrills — that is, if you’re properly settled onto Alonso’s serenely sluggish wavelength. —Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 16 May 2026

This season, they’re being shown turning to OnlyFans to do the banal, but crucial, thing of putting money in their pockets. —Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 14 May 2026

Rage sits on the pages among the everyday updates of life, as if the anger itself was banal. —Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Transitive verb

borrowed from French, "pertaining to a feudal lord's right to extract usage fees for mills, ovens, etc., within his jurisdiction, available for general use, ordinary, commonplace, trite," going back to Old French bannel "subject to a feudal lord's jurisdiction, of seigneurial authority," borrowed from Medieval Latin bannālis, banālis "ordered by a ban, invested with public authority," from bannus, bannum "order given by a public authority, authority, jurisdiction" (borrowed from Old Low Franconian *banna- "call to arms by a lord") + Latin -ālis -al entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1825, in the meaning defined above

Transitive Verb

1903, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for banal

• aldol
• armhole
• atoll
• awol
• backhaul
• baseball
• befall
• cabal
• catchall
• cecal
• centrale
• downfall

Kids Definition

banal

adjective

ba·​nal bə-ˈnal  ba-  -ˈnȧl 

bā-ˈnal;

ˈbān-ᵊl

: not original, fresh, or exciting : stale, commonplace

banality

bə-ˈnal-ət-ē

also bā-

or ba-

noun

banally

bə-ˈnal-lē 

ba-, 

-ˈnȧl-;

bā-ˌnal-;

ˈbān-ᵊl-(l)ē

adverb

Medical Definition

banal

adjective

ba·​nal bə-ˈnal  ba-  -ˈnȧl; bā-ˈnal; ˈbān-ᵊl 

: of a common or ordinary kind

banal skin organisms

a banal inflammation