staler; stalest
1
: tasteless or unpalatable from age
stale bread
2
: tedious from familiarity
a stale routine
3
: impaired in legal force or effect by reason of being allowed to rest without timely use, action, or demand
a stale affidavit
a stale debt
4
: impaired in vigor or effectiveness
staleness
noun
staled; staling
: to become stale
: urine of a domestic animal (such as a horse)
Examples of stale in a Sentence
Adjective
a room filled with stale smoke
viewers were bored by the stale story lines of the new crop of sitcoms
Recent Examples on the Web
Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Meanwhile, Kennedy’s opponent, Vice President Richard Nixon, seemed to embody what voters were tiring of—the stale complacency and status quo of the 1950s.
—Time, 23 July 2025
Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025
Stone Fruit Brown Betty Got summer fruit and a few slices of staling sandwich bread?
—Rita Dove, Bon Appétit, 8 Aug. 2023
Yec, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
Is the information being presented by the F.B.I. to the court stale?
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for stale
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Adjective
Paul gives the Clippers another ball mover to keep possessions from growing stale when Harden is taking a break on the bench.
—Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
Meanwhile, Kennedy’s opponent, Vice President Richard Nixon, seemed to embody what voters were tiring of—the stale complacency and status quo of the 1950s.
—Time, 23 July 2025
Verb
Storage Tip Avoid refrigerating your homemade bread, which can actually accelerate the staling process and alter the flavor.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025
Stone Fruit Brown Betty Got summer fruit and a few slices of staling sandwich bread?
—Rita Dove, Bon Appétit, 8 Aug. 2023
Noun
One trait of stale and out-of-touch leadership teams is a disconnect between seniority levels.
—Yec, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
Is the information being presented by the F.B.I. to the court stale?
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for stale
Cite this Entry
“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stale. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stale
1 of 2 adjective
staler; stalest
1
: having lost a good taste or quality from age
stale food
2
: used or heard so often as to be dull
stale news
3
: not so strong, effective, or energetic as before
felt stale from lack of exercise
staleness
noun
stale
2 of 2 verb
staled; staling
: to make or become stale
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