nondescript

adjective

non·​de·​script ˌnän-di-ˈskript 

1

: belonging or appearing to belong to no particular class or kind : not easily described

… a nondescript mixture of styles in the worst possible taste.

—George Bernard Shaw

2

: lacking distinctive or interesting qualities : dull, drab

Their performance was disappointingly nondescript.

nondescript noun

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How Nondescript Was Formed

It is relatively easy to describe the origins of nondescript (and there's a hint in the first part of this sentence). Nondescript was formed by combining the prefix non- (meaning "not") with descriptus,the past participle of the Latin verb describere, meaning "to describe." It is no surprise, then, that when the word was adopted in the late 17th century by English speakers, it was typically applied to something (such as a genus or species) that had not yet been described. Other descriptive descendants of describere in English include describe, description, and descriptive itself, as well as the rare philosophical term descriptum ("something that is described").

Synonyms of nondescript

• boring
• neutral
• featureless
• characterless
• beige
• faceless
• noncommittal
• dull

Examples of nondescript in a Sentence

I work in one of the nondescript office buildings downtown.

Their performance was disappointingly nondescript.

Recent Examples on the Web

The story follows a furniture store owner (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who finds a secret doorway that leads him to a seemingly endless stretch of nondescript rooms. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 3 June 2026

To say the building is nondescript would be an understatement. —Mark Dent, HubSpot, 1 June 2026

Situated on the second floor of FIU’s Management and Advanced Research Center in west Miami-Dade County, the office is simple, nearly to the point of nondescript. —Daniel Rivero, Miami Herald, 30 May 2026

These nondescript rectangles have been a fixture of offices for decades, hitting the sweet spot with decent components at a good price. —K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

non- + Latin descriptus, past participle of describere to describe

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nondescript

• eucalypt
• manuscript
• superscript
• chipped
• clipped
• crypt
• dipped
• dripped
• flipped
• gripped
• hipped
• lipped

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Kids Definition

nondescript

adjective

non·​de·​script ˌnän-di-ˈskript 

: belonging or appearing to belong to no particular class or kind : not easily described

nondescript noun