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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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
The actions had all been engineered to seem so gradual, Evie thought, even banal.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
This was what attracted them, Mala said, because no Indian woman was allowed enough privacy to thus indulge in a solipsistic obsession with her own psychology—encouraged to chart the fluctuations of her temperament in response to deep crises that were inevitably banal.
—Kiran Desai, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
Musk’s goal wasn’t to achieve the banal status of monopolist.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025
The very principle of financialization rules even the most mundane exchange of objects in the same manner that the most banal exchange of economic investment and speculation regulates the sign of spiritual autonomy and utopian aspirations that abstraction had initially promised.
—Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for banal
Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
This was what attracted them, Mala said, because no Indian woman was allowed enough privacy to thus indulge in a solipsistic obsession with her own psychology—encouraged to chart the fluctuations of her temperament in response to deep crises that were inevitably banal.
—Kiran Desai, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025
Musk’s goal wasn’t to achieve the banal status of monopolist.
—Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 28 July 2025
The very principle of financialization rules even the most mundane exchange of objects in the same manner that the most banal exchange of economic investment and speculation regulates the sign of spiritual autonomy and utopian aspirations that abstraction had initially promised.
—Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for banal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banal
Adjective
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But Anderson also knows that the moral purity of revolutionaries gets boring pretty fast.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
18 Sep. 2025
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However, the McCullum and Stokes selection wagon prefers fast wheels rather than those boring job specs, such as age and experience.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Bad salad kits have sloppy cuts of vegetables, meager toppings and oily or single-note dressings that are either too salty or just plain bland.—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
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PetMD advises a bland, easy-to-digest diet made up of lean proteins such as chicken or turkey, simple carbohydrates like rice or potatoes, and low fat content.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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At the time, Latinos were often cast in stereotyped roles with heavy accents and largely denied the opportunity to direct features.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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On the road, the Murano sidesteps the insipid CVT vibe of the past.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Aug. 2025
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Callahan’s baritone is rich and full, but the rest of the instrumentation feels insipid.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
Reed got her first gig at Cataloochee at the age of 19 in 1996 and has never tired of the work.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
14 Sep. 2025
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Manning’s inefficiency was on full display, and the Longhorns faithful grew tired of it during the first half.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Medieval Europe, an era that gave us heraldry, court jesters, and troubadours, is rendered in dull, grayish brown hues.—
Will Collins,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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Or, the formula comes in a radiant finish, which both makeup artists love for dull or tired skin in need of a pick-me-up.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Prequels have become rather commonplace in sci-fi these days, offering us a window into the event that shaped the world of the original story.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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British and English flags have also become commonplace in cities and towns across the nation in tandem with the protests.—
Catherine Nicholls,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Without a strict hierarchy or single decision-maker, our process can sometimes be slow, messy, or even tiring.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
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The film is a mess, opaque in its argument and tiring in its effortful weirdness, and yet in its best moments has a hypnotic pull.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Banal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banal. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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