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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cliche
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of banal
Indeed, the banal predictability of Kornyev’s slowly mounting humiliations and disillusionments is very much the point.
—
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 May 2025
In one of the film’s most exquisite moments, Casey shows Jin, from the banal setting of her car, the building that sparked her aesthetic awakening; then her hand, holding a cigarette, traces the building’s outlines, as seen from her own ardently abstracting perspective.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
What needs to happen to turn the nightcrawler—the same banal creature found in gardens and on flooded sidewalks across the continent—into a valuable commodity? . . .
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
From this perspective, the antithesis of a Cybertruck would not be the latest banal sedan out of Detroit but, say, a Cuban máquina.
—Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for banal
Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 May 2025
In one of the film’s most exquisite moments, Casey shows Jin, from the banal setting of her car, the building that sparked her aesthetic awakening; then her hand, holding a cigarette, traces the building’s outlines, as seen from her own ardently abstracting perspective.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
What needs to happen to turn the nightcrawler—the same banal creature found in gardens and on flooded sidewalks across the continent—into a valuable commodity? . . .
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
From this perspective, the antithesis of a Cybertruck would not be the latest banal sedan out of Detroit but, say, a Cuban máquina.
—Glenn Adamson, Artforum, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for banal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banal
Adjective
-
Hunter: The Reckoning puts players in the role of regular people who know monsters are real and can’t go back to their old, boring lives.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Take away the road courses or boring ovals and race more street courses.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 July 2025
Adjective
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The bland Ballade is a lesser score by the late 19th and early 20th century British composer who deserves a revival for his more substantial works.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
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In both vehicles he was played by George Reeves, polite, bland and not noticeably muscled.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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Their negative stereotyped reputation seems to follow them like ageism follows older employees or sexism follows female employees.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Amidst their insipid competition to win Harris’ favor, the three daughters lament that none of them will ever truly be their father’s favorite, as that title belongs to the daughter who never grew up: the actual youngest Sinclair daughter, Rosemary.—
Alyssa Davis,
People.com,
19 June 2025
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Brazil were insipid at last summer’s Copa America and have gone downhill since.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Already, 47% of clinicians report that being tired has impacted their abilities to treat patients.—
Victoria Feng,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
His legs are going to be a little tired, as to be expected.—
Roderick Boone
Updated July 11,
Charlotte Observer,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
For organizations looking to unlock efficiency and save their human workforces from dull and repetitive tasks, agents represent an exciting opportunity.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
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The best vitamin C cleansers can come in handy for this—most are packed with brightening antioxidants and fruit enzymes to gently slough away dull, dead skin and protect it from free radicals.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
17 July 2025
Adjective
-
Lines at Eli’s Bar B Que are commonplace, but so is an overwhelming sense of fellowship.—
Katie Strasberg Rousso,
Southern Living,
12 July 2025
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Subsidies and massive discounts are commonplace in China’s competitive tech sector, and a cause for concern for Beijing.—
Dylan Butts,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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For starters, the daily office routine was more tiring than what I was accustomed to back in Israel.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 July 2025
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So 22 years ago, when her mother was pregnant with her older sister, the couple made a long and tiring trek across the border to the US.—
Jennifer Hauser,
CNN Money,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Banal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banal. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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