1
as in boring
lacking in qualities that make for spirit and character
unlike their early work, the band's latest offering is banal and uninspiring
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cliche
used or heard so often as to be dull
please find new ways of phrasing your thoughts instead of relying on banal expressions
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of banal
Without concrete data to support unconventional ideas, marketing executives often default to the path of least resistance: safe, banal, predictable campaigns.
—
Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Indeed, the banal predictability of Kornyev’s slowly mounting humiliations and disillusionments is very much the point.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 May 2025
In one of the film’s most exquisite moments, Casey shows Jin, from the banal setting of her car, the building that sparked her aesthetic awakening; then her hand, holding a cigarette, traces the building’s outlines, as seen from her own ardently abstracting perspective.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
What needs to happen to turn the nightcrawler—the same banal creature found in gardens and on flooded sidewalks across the continent—into a valuable commodity? . . .
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for banal
Gary Drenik, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Indeed, the banal predictability of Kornyev’s slowly mounting humiliations and disillusionments is very much the point.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 May 2025
In one of the film’s most exquisite moments, Casey shows Jin, from the banal setting of her car, the building that sparked her aesthetic awakening; then her hand, holding a cigarette, traces the building’s outlines, as seen from her own ardently abstracting perspective.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
What needs to happen to turn the nightcrawler—the same banal creature found in gardens and on flooded sidewalks across the continent—into a valuable commodity? . . .
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for banal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banal
Adjective
-
There are occasional boring stretches, along with confounding ones.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
3 Aug. 2025
-
Casey is struggling to find meaning in his boring job, his divorce, and the death of his stoic father.—
AudioFile Magazine
July 31,
Literary Hub,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
Out-of-season tomatoes—notoriously pale, mealy, and bland—tend to be tomatoes in name only.—
Rachel Sugar,
The Atlantic,
24 July 2025
-
Apparently, the line is bland but also profound and ironic, and all of that whooshes over my head, too, but that’s Saturday.—
Caitlin Lovinger,
New York Times,
19 July 2025
Adjective
-
Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
-
Their negative stereotyped reputation seems to follow them like ageism follows older employees or sexism follows female employees.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Italy were insipid against the Swiss in that Euros defeat this time last year.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
Amidst their insipid competition to win Harris’ favor, the three daughters lament that none of them will ever truly be their father’s favorite, as that title belongs to the daughter who never grew up: the actual youngest Sinclair daughter, Rosemary.—
Alyssa Davis,
People.com,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
The hollowed eyes and sunken cheeks belonging to Wednesday and the tired girl visage is one that requires the cool-toned products Violetta reached for in her videos, according to makeup artist Lauren Wolborsky.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
30 July 2025
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Cosmetic procedures were once only whispered about, carefully timed around the holidays to create the illusion that a restful getaway had erased wrinkles, brightened tired eyes and restored a youthful, refreshed look.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
The only other real difference was that the no-sugar version looked shinier and gummier, whereas the originals were a bit duller in comparison.—
Lisa DeSantis,
Glamour,
29 July 2025
-
Changeable conditions usually make for exciting races, but 2025 was a bit dull.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
28 July 2025
Adjective
-
Editing for brevity’s sake is commonplace in TV journalism and CBS argued Trump’s claims had no merit.—
Chris Morris,
Fortune,
25 July 2025
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That's simply not exciting in a reality where superheroes have been commonplace since Iron Man had a press conference, aliens have invaded multiple times, and a mad Titan erased half of all life (before everybody came back).—
James Grebey,
Time,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Kennedy’s opponent, Vice President Richard Nixon, seemed to embody what voters were tiring of—the stale complacency and status quo of the 1950s.—
Time,
Time,
23 July 2025
-
There are only so many new stories to be told, and audiences seem to be tiring of the monotony.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Banal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banal. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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