1
as in stereotyped
used or heard so often as to be dull
viewers were bored by the stale story lines of the new crop of sitcoms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
the sequel is basically a stale remake of the first movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stale
There was something stale about the ’13-14 Penguins and, well, this wouldn’t be much of a contest.
—
Josh Yohe, New York Times, 11 June 2026
That could lead to stale intelligence, lawmakers said, including the type of information included in the president’s daily briefing.
—Mary Clare Jalonick, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
When entering a steamy car, turn on the air conditioning but turn off recirculation to keep stale air from cycling.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
If your group's reading list is feeling stale, these are the titles worth adding to the stack.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stale
Josh Yohe, New York Times, 11 June 2026
That could lead to stale intelligence, lawmakers said, including the type of information included in the president’s daily briefing.
—Mary Clare Jalonick, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
When entering a steamy car, turn on the air conditioning but turn off recirculation to keep stale air from cycling.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
If your group's reading list is feeling stale, these are the titles worth adding to the stack.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for stale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stale
Adjective
-
This is a directed, stereotyped behavior in which the highest-resolution region of the somatosensory surface is brought to bear on the object requiring the most detailed analysis.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
In some cases, praise took on overtly stereotyped forms: words like 'love' were used disproportionately with female students, while 'powerful' appeared only for Black students.—
Rachel del Guidice,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Swapping any boring sweater with this one will instantly upgrade your travel wardrobe (without much effort at all).—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
-
He was meant to only be the stick-in-the-mud boring guy.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
My wife lowers her gaze as if tired, rubbing the side of her glass with her fingers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The first step is to avoid the tired trap of pitting a liberal arts education against a technical or practical one.—
Jamie Merisotis,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
While a few of the old hunters were wistful about the memory of the large mammals, others saw extirpation as necessary progress.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
The 24-year-old’s burning desire, elite athleticism, and an electrifying season at Triple-A Albuquerque busted down the big-league door.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Maybe so, but think of how badly Congress had stated those hackneyed ideas.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
While not exactly a feminist screed, the script grants nary a free pass to the glut of hackneyed gender conventions in the golden-age canon without at least cracking a joke.—
Naveen Kumar,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The longtime Florida coach swapped a tiring McDonald for Russell Sandefer with one out in the top of the sixth inning.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 June 2026
-
By combining both the heated air flow of a blow dryer and a round brush in a single tool, this product is much simpler and less tiring to use than working with a separate hair dryer and round brush.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
In tax-weary Santa Clara County, San Jose leaders pushed for the ballot measure to shift the financial burden to visitors by increasing the city’s transient occupancy tax, levied on hotel and short-term rental guests, from 10% to 12%.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
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His athleticism and vision will benefit Canada when opposition defenders grow weary late in games.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Dems slow to embrace data center resistance McMillan Cottom suggested that no public officials on the right or the left have perfected their messaging to align with anti-data center sentiments.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
-
Eating a donut earlier in the day is easier on your body than eating it at night when insulin sensitivity and metabolism slow.—
Brandi Jones,
Verywell Health,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stale. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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