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

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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 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 Sean Regan, who voted straight Democrat, said 30 years of the same party in power has created a stale and complacent government. — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 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

Some have complained that Becerra is an unworthy, boring torchbearer for Latinos — not dynamic enough to meet a moment where many hoped for a firebrand.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Sure, this may sound kind of boring, but the city in the southern Guangdong province has also just been named as the country's leader in wealthy entrepreneurs and is the beating heart of China's AI and tech industry.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of boring

Adjective

On Housewives, story lines grow tired and repetitive, and attempts to shake up the dynamics inevitably fall flat as the show reverts back to a familiar staleness.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
Even Trump’s biggest supporters are growing tired of the high prices that his war has caused.

— Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 4 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

Stuttering drum patterns and elastic basslines rub up against glossy keyboards and slow piano chords, blending early 2000s sounds with the futuristic sensuality of Kelela.

— Precious Fondren, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
On the earnings growth front, while emerging markets on average are expected to deliver a 45% improvement, India's forecast is much slower at 11%, as per Bernstein.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of slow

Adjective

All of the supporting characters are shrewdly cast and realized, whether Aiello’s nervous but persistent promoter or the superb Meredith’s weary, knowing cornerman.

— Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
But rather than spread panic, the fake messages appear to have had little impact on war-weary civilians – and instead began to generate some imaginative memes.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of weary

Browse Nearby Words

stalags

stale

stalemate

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Style

“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stale. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of stale

adjective

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