stale

adjective

ˈstāl How to pronounce stale (audio)
Definition of stalenext
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

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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

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 stale In warmer, staler weather, users can open the offset fly zipper and roll one or both pieces of door fabric open to increase airflow. — New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2026 No one will argue that breathing stale air in a seat that offers 30 inches of leg room counts as a wellness retreat, and the research on how much dedicated tech detoxes actually improve well-being is mixed. — Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026 Every output the system produces from ambiguous or stale inputs becomes a decision someone makes in good faith on a flawed premise. — Leon Gordon, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman spoke with EW about how to keep the show from growing stale after decades on the air. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stale
  1. stereotyped
  2. boring
  3. tired
  4. tiring
  5. hackneyed
  6. old
  7. slow
  8. weary
Adjective
  • Despite their outer appearances and oftentimes stereotyped personalities, the ladies embrace each other’s depths and contradictions.
    — Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of stereotyped
Adjective
  • When talking about the Gerhardt brothers, Hudson, a quarterback, and Bailen, a receiver, first-year Village Christian coach Rand Holdren says there’s never a boring moment when the two are together.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Everton have finished 13th, in the boring but comfortable reassurance of mid-table, in each of the past two seasons.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of boring
Adjective
  • Pinterest says Gen Z and Millennials are putting their own spins on trends rather than copying them, a sign that visible under-eyes and lived-in finishes could outlast the tired girl label itself.
    — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Republican president looks increasingly tired and running out of steam, has not introduced any major new initiatives and could see the political writing on the wall.
    — Joe Battenfeld, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of tired
Adjective
  • Food & Drink You’ll find just two dining venues on the property, The Dining Room (which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and the poolside Palapa Bar, but there’s no chance of tiring of the fare.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Permanent Marker Removal Trying to scrub permanent marker away is tiring, time-consuming, and often futile without some type of product to loosen the marker.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of tiring
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
Definition of hackneyed
Adjective
  • Nuclear Children follows 18-year-old Isla Sparrow who, after the death of her father in a submarine accident, hopes to escape her grieving family and flee to university.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
  • But in older adults, the relationship between body weight and health may be more complicated than a number on the scale.
    — Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of old
Adjective
  • Reseeding helps block weed growth, repel lawn diseases, slow soil erosion, and strengthen growth in bare patches.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Critical thinking is based on the need for a deliberate, slow, self-regulatory pause.
    — Ted Ladd, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • And Trump’s priority is to lower costs for inflation-weary consumers ahead of the midterms, just suspending tariffs on imports of up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to bring cheaper foreign meat into the market.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • As competition intensifies, Walmart and Kroger are lowering prices across the board to appeal to inflation-weary, cost-conscious consumers.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of weary

Browse Nearby Words

stalags
stale
stalemate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stale. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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