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 In Primetime, Predator breaks protocol in a misguided attempt to keep the show from getting stale. — Samantha Bergeson, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026 Gemini May 21 – June 20 Something about your usual routine may start feeling stale. — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026 May 21 – June 20 Something about your usual routine may start feeling stale. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 20 Sep. 2026 To revive stale bread, moisten the crust, wrap in foil, and heat in a 300°F oven for 10–15 minutes. — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Sep. 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

Most impressive is its capacity to achieve the perfect balance between design and sophistication, without being uptight or boring.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Oct. 2026
The game was pretty boring overall, and the Seahawks looked like the significantly better team.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of boring

Adjective

Getting camera-ready Crawford never tired of redecorating her house throughout her 26 years there and had a long collaborative relationship with decorator William Haines.

— Megan Johnson, Architectural Digest, 14 Oct. 2026
As such, the group designed this high-tech salve to revive tired skin on a cellular level, but also with a little mood boost.

— Jenny Berg, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of tired

Adjective

Tommy Gemmell, advanced from left-back, provided the equaliser on 63 minutes and with Inter tiring and Celtic still pushing, Chalmers scored the famous winner with six minutes left.

— Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
But after a while, the lack of grounding gets tiring, as various supernatural shenanigans appear to be determined more by plot convenience than anything else.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of tiring

Adjective

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
Maybe so, but think of how badly Congress had stated those hackneyed ideas.

— Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Definition of hackneyed

Adjective

On winding roads, its model-specific suspension tuning and focus on weight reduction translate into exceptional body control at speed without becoming brittle or overly rigid in slower, more technical sections.

— Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
In particular, he was asked about Netflix’s slower growth (2% year-over-year growth in user engagement during the first half in 2026).

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of slow

Adjective

From $4 gas and 7% mortgage rates to surging airfares, the Iran war is significantly raising the cost of living for inflation-weary consumers ahead of the midterm elections.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026
Popular at American Chinese or Cajun-style Chinese restaurants, the sticky-sweet chicken is the utter definition of delicious, luring weary shoppers into food courts to find refuge from the bubblegum pink sweatpants and ripped denim.

— Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of weary

Browse Nearby Words

stalags

stale

stalemate

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“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stale. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of stale

adjective

Example Sentences

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