1
a
: smooth and soothing in manner or quality
bland approval
a bland smile
b
: exhibiting no personal concern or embarrassment : unperturbed
a bland confession of guilt
2
a
: not irritating, stimulating, or invigorating : soothing
a bland oil
the bland climate of the southern coast
c
: lacking strong flavor
Expect both kinds of salsify to be subtle and delicate—too bland for some tastebuds.—
Elizabeth Schneider
Elizabeth SchneiderExamples of bland in a Sentence
The vegetable soup was rather bland.
The diplomat's bland statement did nothing to calm the situation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Companies such as OpenAI fine-tune the models behind modern chatbots not just to imitate existing writing, but to use the particularly bland and cheerful style that any chatbot user recognizes.
—Vauhini Vara, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
But the movie’s soft-hearted underbelly fails to support that reading, and by the time the story finally arrives at its final moments, the unsparing cynicism that supplied its initial lift has been dragged back down to Earth by the weight of bland truisms.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2025
The request for proposal redux comes following a months-long saga of court battles and media coverage of what might normally be a bland and routine contract bidding process.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
Much like how Hailey and Justin Bieber dress, there is something charming about opposing couple style, and allowing each other to follow their individual tastes and passions, without blending into one bland unit.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bland
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Vauhini Vara, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2025
But the movie’s soft-hearted underbelly fails to support that reading, and by the time the story finally arrives at its final moments, the unsparing cynicism that supplied its initial lift has been dragged back down to Earth by the weight of bland truisms.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2025
The request for proposal redux comes following a months-long saga of court battles and media coverage of what might normally be a bland and routine contract bidding process.
—Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2025
Much like how Hailey and Justin Bieber dress, there is something charming about opposing couple style, and allowing each other to follow their individual tastes and passions, without blending into one bland unit.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bland
Cite this Entry
“Bland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bland. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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