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 stereotyped
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
And that seemingly uninterrupted one-take is its own argument for the necessity of the medium to transport and astound us out of a banal world, one as banal as the one the Deliriant inhabits as civilization comes to its last gasp.
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Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 12 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, the hunt in Fayetteville has been somewhat banal, even though Arkansas was the first SEC program to fire a coach this cycle.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
Ads naturally and inherently traffic in the line between surreality and the banal.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2025
As alluring as these possibilities were, the truth was more banal.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for banal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banal
Adjective
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Yes, the rich women went to Sedona on Sutton’s private plane, but before that there were a few scenes back in boring old Los Angeles.—
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Disease prevention should be boring, routine, expected, and easy to access.—
Adjective
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Later, Lenape artist Joe Baker places cutout photographs of his ancestors over the stereotyped images of Native Americans found in the wallpaper.—
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Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Adjective
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The loft features minimal decor but doesn't feel bland due to the planked walls.—
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This is a comforting meal that is anything but bland.—
Adjective
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That includes fewer tired drivers on overnight routes, more predictable freight movement and potentially safer highways over time.—
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The tired hosts will be delighted.—
Adjective
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Throughout the film, which is visually impressive, but insipid in the story, there are countless small touches that bring us back to the original.—
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On the road, the Murano sidesteps the insipid CVT vibe of the past.—
Adjective
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Contrary to rumors of mass protests, the gathering of citizens (a commonplace sight at crucial legislative periods), was unobtrusive and orderly.—
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Bodyboarders and surfers haven’t historically gotten along, especially in the ’80s, when conflicts in the water were commonplace.—
Adjective
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No, my mom was the ugliest in her family, the awkward, dull one.—
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Sharp knives are substantially safer than dull knives, confirms Bobby Griggs, vice president of Hammer Stahl Cutlery.—
Adjective
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This is actually better than some of the hackneyed rom-coms Reiner muddled through, a coming-of-age story about two kids’ pseudo-love story from grade school through middle school.—
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On the first real mission in the jungle region of Fury Green, Samus encounters a Galactic Federation technician named Myles Mackenzie who, from his reveal in the pre-release previews, became a sticking point for fans due to his hackneyed sidekick trappings.—
Cite this Entry
“Banal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banal. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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