vanilla

adjective

Definition of vanillanext
as in boring
lacking in distinctive features or qualities a plain vanilla version of a song that's been recorded more times than necessary

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vanilla The court has ruled that the companies must develop a new product formula that does not include vanilla derived from non-vanilla plant sources within 12 months of the settlement’s finalization, according to the news release. — Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 30 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vanilla
  1. boring
  2. neutral
  3. beige
  4. nondescript
  5. featureless
Adjective
  • Most impressive is its capacity to achieve the perfect balance between design and sophistication, without being uptight or boring.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The game was pretty boring overall, and the Seahawks looked like the significantly better team.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of boring
Adjective
  • In every case the technology was neutral and the outcome came from the human.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Or a neutral year, meaning neither El Niño nor La Niña is present.
    — Tammie Souza, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of neutral
Adjective
  • On the formalwear front, the traditional suit remains unchanged but can be updated with a choice between a new blue-and-white striped shirt, or the beige polo.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In rural Modoc County, in California’s remote northeast corner, Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton donned a beige cowboy hat and climbed atop a horse.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of beige
Adjective
  • Despite celebrating his album’s release with friends the night before, Quavo arrives early to the nondescript downtown Los Angeles studio with no entourage in sight.
    — Mikey Fresh, VIBE.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • They were set up in nondescript suburban homes, often shielded by hedges or fences.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of nondescript
Adjective
  • The small army at Kostabi World turned out images of featureless characters moving through strange, otherworldly scenes, caught between intimacy, alienation, and the discomfort of contemporary life.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Shooting in a widescreen format that gives ironic grandeur to a squat, featureless town in the Texas Panhandle, DP Peter Flinckenberg is attentive to the piercing, sometimes radiant winter light of the region in the harshest months of the year.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of featureless

Browse Nearby Words

vanguards
vanilla
vanish
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Cite this Entry

“Vanilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vanilla. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on vanilla

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vanilla

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