staler; stalest
1
: tasteless or unpalatable from age
stale bread
2
: tedious from familiarity
a stale routine
3
: impaired in legal force or effect by reason of being allowed to rest without timely use, action, or demand
a stale affidavit
a stale debt
4
: impaired in vigor or effectiveness
staleness
noun
staled; staling
: to become stale
: urine of a domestic animal (such as a horse)
Examples of stale in a Sentence
Adjective
a room filled with stale smoke
viewers were bored by the stale story lines of the new crop of sitcoms
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Oct. 2025
Gausman had retired 17 straight Dodger batters until the seventh inning, when Smith yet again got the best of him, hitting a solo home run to break the stale mate.
—Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 29 Sep. 2025
Storage Tip Avoid refrigerating your homemade bread, which can actually accelerate the staling process and alter the flavor.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025
Yec, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
Is the information being presented by the F.B.I. to the court stale?
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for stale
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Adjective
Rosemary & Sea Salt Potato Chips Classy concept, but the rosemary tasted stale or rancid; there’s a bitter note that deters you from another handful.
—Alex Beggs, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Oct. 2025
Gausman had retired 17 straight Dodger batters until the seventh inning, when Smith yet again got the best of him, hitting a solo home run to break the stale mate.
—Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
But there's reason to believe freezing slows the staling process but doesn't halt it.
—Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 29 Sep. 2025
Storage Tip Avoid refrigerating your homemade bread, which can actually accelerate the staling process and alter the flavor.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025
Noun
One trait of stale and out-of-touch leadership teams is a disconnect between seniority levels.
—Yec, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
Is the information being presented by the F.B.I. to the court stale?
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022
See All Example Sentences for stale
Cite this Entry
“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stale. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stale
1 of 2 adjective
staler; stalest
1
: having lost a good taste or quality from age
stale food
2
: used or heard so often as to be dull
stale news
3
: not so strong, effective, or energetic as before
felt stale from lack of exercise
staleness
noun
stale
2 of 2 verb
staled; staling
: to make or become stale
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