1
as in boring
lacking in qualities that make for spirit and character
unlike their early work, the band's latest offering is banal and uninspiring
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
please find new ways of phrasing your thoughts instead of relying on banal expressions
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of banal
The authenticity of the writer-protagonist’s feelings is undermined by the banal familiarity of a specific indie-film model.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
This is a banal statement of law, one that Hegseth himself has made publicly in years past.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Crumb, at the time, would be dressed unremarkably casually, in banal pants and sweater, with thick glasses, looking more or less like a geek.
—David Zane Mairowitz, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2025
And that seemingly uninterrupted one-take is its own argument for the necessity of the medium to transport and astound us out of a banal world, one as banal as the one the Deliriant inhabits as civilization comes to its last gasp.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banal
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
This is a banal statement of law, one that Hegseth himself has made publicly in years past.
—Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Crumb, at the time, would be dressed unremarkably casually, in banal pants and sweater, with thick glasses, looking more or less like a geek.
—David Zane Mairowitz, Rolling Stone, 22 Dec. 2025
And that seemingly uninterrupted one-take is its own argument for the necessity of the medium to transport and astound us out of a banal world, one as banal as the one the Deliriant inhabits as civilization comes to its last gasp.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banal
Adjective
-
The boring lunch ends boringly, with the women sipping their champagne in silence, tucking into their salads, and ignoring the commemorative glasses that no one wanted.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This sounds like a boring event but the boys turn the act of breaking up ice or sleet sheets from the sidewalk into a hockey-like competition.—
Caleb Harris,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Later, Lenape artist Joe Baker places cutout photographs of his ancestors over the stereotyped images of Native Americans found in the wallpaper.—
Tom McDonough,
Artforum,
1 Nov. 2025
-
Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
Nutritionists no longer recommend giving kids bland food, but the idea that children should eat different foods than adults nevertheless stuck.—
Olga Khazan,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
-
And when dipped in our unique combination of cocktail sauce blended with barbecue sauce, dinner will be anything but bland.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While a few icons have grown tired (like the Fontainebleau Miami Beach and Eden Roc Miami Beach, missing from this list), several have recently poured money into renovations, including the Mayfair House and Gardens; Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, which just reopened; and the Delano Miami.—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
Robb Report,
5 Feb. 2026
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Bell remembered during the Stars on Ice tour in 2022 when the skaters rolled into a new city, tired, groggy and sore from the long bus ride, Liu, dressed in a baggy hoodie and billowing sweatpants, could go on the ice and throw perfect jumps without warning.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Even the most insipid formulaic pop nonsense can induce that almost mystical reflection of life if your connections to the time of its airplay are meaningful.—
Jody Mamone,
Hartford Courant,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Throughout the film, which is visually impressive, but insipid in the story, there are countless small touches that bring us back to the original.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
All-cash offers, including in Boise and its surrounding suburbs, became commonplace and spurred bidding wars that drove up housing prices, Michael Megis, a longtime broker also with the Homes of Idaho real estate firm, said in an interview.—
Kevin Fixler,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Feb. 2026
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McTier said Disney’s deal with OpenAI is an example of the kind of partnership that should become more commonplace.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But all work and no play can make for a dull chief medical officer.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
30 Jan. 2026
-
People living in Bridgeville were excited to see dull pavement.—
Chris Hoffman,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This is actually better than some of the hackneyed rom-coms Reiner muddled through, a coming-of-age story about two kids’ pseudo-love story from grade school through middle school.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
16 Dec. 2025
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On the first real mission in the jungle region of Fury Green, Samus encounters a Galactic Federation technician named Myles Mackenzie who, from his reveal in the pre-release previews, became a sticking point for fans due to his hackneyed sidekick trappings.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
2 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Banal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banal. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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