Definition of stale
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
nounPeople Are Reading
Examples of stale in a Sentence
a room filled with stale smoke
viewers were bored by the stale story lines of the new crop of sitcoms
Recent Examples of stale from the Web
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That in itself could embolden Mirotic to push for a bigger deal than his play would otherwise command, adding some tension to an otherwise stale negotiating period.
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But when the entire performance resembles an audition for an off-Broadway skit, the novelty act quickly grows stale.
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The company recently announced the launch of several new house brands to replace older ones that had grown stale.
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Lay the slices out on a rimmed baking sheet and leave them at room temperature to get a little stale, about 2 hours.
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Those who frequent truck stops probably know that last item better as pork rinds, but these are not the stale husks available at the Flying J.
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Escalloped Rhubarb Serves 6 3 cups cubed stale or toasted bread 1 stick butter, melted 1 cup sugar 2 cups diced uncooked rhubarb Red food coloring Add bread to butter and mix well.
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Escalloped Rhubarb Serves 6 3 cups cubed stale or toasted bread 1 stick butter, melted 1 cup sugar 2 cups diced uncooked rhubarb Red food coloring Add bread to butter and mix well.
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There are no stale cookies or rock-hard ice cream because each ’wich is scooped to order.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of stale
Middle English, settled, clear (of ale), not fresh, from Anglo-French estale, probably from Middle Dutch stel old (of beer)
stale
Definition of stale
staled
;staling
transitive verb
1 : to make stale
2 archaic : to make common : cheapen
intransitive verb
: to become stale
First Known Use of stale
1599
stale
Definition of stale
staled
;staling
intransitive verb
: urinate —used chiefly of camels and horses
Origin and Etymology of stale
Middle English; akin to Middle Low German stallen to urinate, stal urine of horses
stale
Definition of stale
: urine of a domestic animal (such as a horse)
Recent Examples of stale from the Web
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Blackhawks looking stale: Has this group run out of magic?
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stale.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of stale
1548
STALE Defined for English Language Learners
stale
playDefinition of stale for English Language Learners
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of food : no longer good or appealing : no longer fresh
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: not clean, clear, or pure : having an unpleasant taste or smell
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: not interesting or new : boring or unoriginal
STALE Defined for Kids
stale
playDefinition of stale for Students
staler
;stalest
1 : having lost a good taste or quality through age stale bread
2 : used or heard so often as to be dull stale jokes
3 : not so strong, energetic, or effective as before He felt stale in his job.
Law Dictionary
stale
Legal Definition of stale
: impaired in legal effect or force by reason of not being used, acted upon, or demanded in a timely fashion a search warrant based on stale information a stale claim
Learn More about stale
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See words that rhyme with stale Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for stale Spanish Central: Translation of stale Nglish: Translation of stale for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of stale for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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