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vanilla

adjective

Definition of vanillanext
as in boring
lacking in distinctive features or qualities a plain vanilla version of a song that's been recorded more times than necessary

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 vanilla The court has ruled that the companies must develop a new product formula that does not include vanilla derived from non-vanilla plant sources within 12 months of the settlement’s finalization, according to the news release. — Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 30 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vanilla
  1. boring
  2. neutral
  3. beige
  4. nondescript
  5. featureless
Adjective
  • Virtually all those trips involved hassle that was a bore to write about and just as boring to read.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The Arizona Cardinals lost to the Seattle Seahawks 31-7 in a disappointing and boring game.
    — Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of boring
Adjective
  • Different views on the topic Bianco’s legal team argued that the sheriff had a duty to investigate a complaint alleging discrepancies in the election and had acted lawfully after obtaining search warrants from a neutral magistrate.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Much like white, navy blue is a classic, timeless color that offers a deep neutral contrast to black or gray doors without sacrificing a sophisticated look.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of neutral
Adjective
  • The colors range from beige and bluish gray to hi-vis orange to midnight black, with plenty of airy gaps to keep them from feeling too dense.
    — Grace Edquist, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Noah Wyle, earning his second Emmy in a custom Brunello Cucinelli tuxedo with a single-breasted beige jacket, captured the third position, while Adam Brody in Prada and Oscar Isaac in a white Celine suit rounded out the list.
    — Laurie Brookins, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of beige
Adjective
  • From the outside, the building looks like a bunker, camouflaged amid a block of nondescript offices.
    — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026
  • In the corner of a nondescript office in Sheffield, a city in the north of England, a compact server full of Nvidia chips is whirring away.
    — Billy Perrigo, Time, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of nondescript
Adjective
  • Shooting in a widescreen format that gives ironic grandeur to a squat, featureless town in the Texas Panhandle, DP Peter Flinckenberg is attentive to the piercing, sometimes radiant winter light of the region in the harshest months of the year.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The metal underneath In their last experiment, the team built a plate that was quartz on two-thirds and copper on the other third, then coated the whole thing with a single uniform layer of Teflon that provided a featureless surface.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of featureless

Browse Nearby Words

vanguards
vanilla
vanish
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Cite this Entry

“Vanilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vanilla. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on vanilla

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vanilla

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