banal

adjective

ba·nal | \ bə-ˈnal

, ba-, -ˈnäl; bā-ˈnal

; ˈbā-nᵊl

Definition of banal

: lacking originality, freshness, or novelty : trite

Other Words from banal Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym How do you pronounce banal? Example Sentences Learn More about banal

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Other Words from banal

banalize \ bə-ˈna-ˌlīz

, ba- , -ˈnä- ; bā-ˈna- ; ˈbā-nᵊl-ˌīz \ transitive verb

banally \ bə-ˈnal-lē

, ba- , -ˈnäl- ; bā-ˈnal- ; ˈbā-nᵊl-(l)ē \ adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for banal

insipid, vapid, flat, jejune, banal, inane mean devoid of qualities that make for spirit and character. insipid implies a lack of sufficient taste or savor to please or interest. an insipid romance with platitudes on every page vapid suggests a lack of liveliness, force, or spirit. an exciting story given a vapid treatment flat applies to things that have lost their sparkle or zest. although well-regarded in its day, the novel now seems flat jejune suggests a lack of rewarding or satisfying substance. a jejune and gassy speech banal stresses the complete absence of freshness, novelty, or immediacy. a banal tale of unrequited love inane implies a lack of any significant or convincing quality. an inane interpretation of the play

How do you pronounce banal?

There are several pronunciations of banal, but the three most common are \BAY-nul\, \buh-NAHL\, and \buh-NAL\ (which rhymes with canal). The earliest pronunciation given in our dictionaries is the now-unused \BAN-ul\ (rhymes with “flannel); it is attested to in our dictionaries back to the 1800s, but has dropped out of use. \BAY-nul\ is the next oldest pronunciation. The more recent \buh-NAL\ and \buh-NAHL\ came about through French influence, since banal was borrowed into English from French, and those two pronunciations are closer to the French pronunciation of banal. All three pronunciations are acceptable in educated speech; \buh-NAL\ is currently the most common, followed by \BAY-nul\ and then \buh-NAHL. There is no reason to condemn any of them as incorrect.

Examples of banal in a Sentence

The more banal, the more commonplace, the more predictable, the triter, the staler, the dumber, the better. — Don DeLillo, Mao II, 1991 The instructor's script is banal, relying heavily on images of waves on a beach or clouds in the sky. — Maxine Kumin, "Wintering Over," 1979, in In Deep, 1987 … it seemed to me that computers have been used in ways that are salutary, in ways that are dangerous, banal and cruel, and in ways that seem harmless if a little silly. — Tracy Kidder, The Soul of a New Machine, 1981 He made some banal remarks about the weather. The writing was banal but the story was good.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fellow brunch-hater Arsalun Tafazoli set out to change the brunch narrative in San Diego and instead blew it up with his riotously pink, Little Italy antidote to the banal. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "We hate brunch. But we love these 10 brunch spots," 8 Aug. 2019 Imagine if a new acquaintance asked to see the contents of your backpack or a week of your browser history before engaging in even the most banal small talk. — Pamela Pavliscak, Quartz, "Forget AI ethics—treat technology like a new relationship instead," 2 Aug. 2019 Sometimes in the most banal situations something just comes back, pops back. — Tom Philip, GQ, "Lynne Ramsay Knows What You Expect from an Action Movie, and She's Not Going to Give It to You," 6 Apr. 2018 His ability to penetrate to the expressive essence of even the most banal romantic poetry, with a voice of no great size, but a softly pleasing timbre, vibrato, was remarkable. — John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, "With new song cycle, Lawrence Brownlee explores a black man's life in America," 20 Feb. 2018 There’s nothing banal or benign about the hat, no matter its wearer’s intent. — Washington Post, "The MAGA hat is not a statement of policy. It’s an inflammatory declaration of identity.," 17 Aug. 2019 The social photo is ephemeral, informal and yes, often banal, but such criticism is irrelevant. — Leah Ollman, Los Angeles Times, "Review: Writing the book on selfies — sociologist reframes social photos," 10 Aug. 2019 That metaphor may sound as banal as described, but the act of playing this game—of wiping out cars, buildings, tanks, and armed forces in one American locale after another—adds up as an experience. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Metal Wolf Chaos XD: A weirdly timed return to 2004’s robo-blasting innocence," 6 Aug. 2019 Some transfer sagas are exciting, some a bit banal, and most fall somewhere in between. — SI.com, "Transfer Rumours: Spurs Closing on Sessegnon, Pogba Rubbish Returns, Arsenal Bid Rejected & More," 5 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'banal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for banal

banal

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of banal

: boring or ordinary : not interesting

See the full definition for banal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

banal

adjective

ba·nal | \ bə-ˈnal

, ba-

, -ˈnȧl; bā-ˈnal; ˈbān-ᵊl

Medical Definition of banal

: of a common or ordinary kind banal skin organisms a banal inflammation

banal

Definition of banal

Other Words from banal

Synonyms for banal

Choose the Right Synonym for banal

How do you pronounce banal?

Examples of banal in a Sentence

First Known Use of banal

History and Etymology for banal

English Language Learners Definition of banal

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banal

Definition of banal

Other Words from banal

Synonyms for banal

Choose the Right Synonym for banal

How do you pronounce banal?

Examples of banal in a Sentence

First Known Use of banal

History and Etymology for banal

English Language Learners Definition of banal

Medical Definition of banal

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