STALE Synonyms: 211 Similar and Opposite Words

stale

adjective

ˈstāl

Definition of stale

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

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 It’s not generally recommended to mix old, stale gasoline with fresh fuel, especially if the old gas has been sitting untreated for several months. — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 31 Oct. 2026 Not only has the gimmick run stale, but her insistence on upping the ante year after year, creating costumes that are increasingly bizarre and disgusting, is a threat to us all. — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2026 Camera footage showed that Lopez’s truck approached the stale green light at 165th Street at a high rate of speed, which changed to yellow as the truck went through the intersection, court records state. — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 Without that provenance, the agent can’t reliably distinguish current operational truth from stale, incomplete or manipulated information. — Shekhar Iyer, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stale

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stale

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

Harrison’s sociological portrait is attuned to the common idea that disaster can quickly become boring—or all too quickly assimilated and ignored.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Nov. 2026
No one is going to notice a boring man in chunky acetate frames.

— Tyler Watamanuk, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of boring

Adjective

People are sick and tired of attack ads, robocalls and misinformation.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2026
Doncic had 32 points and 10 assists in a 124-114 win over the Atlanta Hawks as the Lakers relied on their depth to secure their sixth consecutive win and stay atop the Western Conference despite a short, tired bench.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of tired

Adjective

Using a touch screen even makes sense for limited interaction by digital content editors of all stripes, but reaching across the keyboard a lot is tiring, as with any touch laptop.

— Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
Forget your previous experience—many of us think that exercise should be tiring and painful to work.

— Laura Solla, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026

Definition of tiring

Adjective

The hackneyed ruminations on feminine style are punctured by an image of violent female rage.

— Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
There’s some hackneyed dialogue, much of it borne by Neeson, who despite his prominence in advertising gets sidelined for most of the running time.

— Dennis Harvey, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of hackneyed

Adjective

There have been lows—trying to manufacture a viral dance in an empty pub alongside a dwarf Michael Jackson impersonator among them—but Skepta is old enough to own those now, and grow from them.

— Will Pritchard, Pitchfork, 9 Nov. 2026
California has a rich and varied history — and San Jose is the oldest civilian community in the state.

— John Ramos, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of old

Adjective

Increasingly, there are elevated places to stay that preserve the soul of this place, opening in a slow trickle like Valbona Resort and Spa (2024) and SeSam Villas in Theth (2025).

— Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Nov. 2026
The Bears jumped out to a 9-2 lead as USC was slow getting going offensively and committed three quick turnovers.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026

Definition of slow

Adjective

However, not everyone shared that sense of relief or the weary desire to move fully on from the war.

— Connor Okeeffe, Oc Register, 11 Nov. 2026
Written and directed by Sun Aoqian, the film stars Song Jia as a weary crematorium worker who accidentally mixes up two sets of funeral ashes.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Nov. 2026

Definition of weary

Browse Nearby Words

stalags

stale

stalemate

See all Nearby Words

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Style

“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stale. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of stale

adjective

Example Sentences

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