Banal — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /bə-ˈnal/ ba·nal

Meaning & Definition of Banal

Banal (adjective)

  1. lacking originality, freshness, or novelty, trite

Banal (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. lacking in qualities that make for spirit and character

    "unlike their early work, the band's latest offering is banal and uninspiring"

    similar: flat, insipid, milk-and-water, namby-pamby, watery, wishy-washy
    related: unexciting, uninspiring, unrewarding, bland, boring, drab, dreary, dry, dull, heavy, humdrum, jading, leaden, lifeless, monotonous, pedestrian, ponderous, tedious, tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, vapid, wearisome, weary, wearying, inane, innocuous, inoffensive, mild, soft, subdued, tame, weak, common, commonplace, ordinary, stale, unexceptional
    near: piquant, poignant, pungent, racy, spicy, meaty, substantial, entertaining, exciting, galvanizing, inspiring, invigorating, thrilling

  2. used or heard so often as to be dull

    "please find new ways of phrasing your thoughts instead of relying on banal expressions"

    similar: cliché, clichéd, cobwebby, commonplace, hack, hackney, hackneyed, moth-eaten, musty, obligatory, shopworn, stale, stereotyped, threadbare, timeworn, tired, trite, well-worn
    related: twice-told, bromidic, platitudinal, platitudinous, canned, cardboard, conventional, cookie-cutter, derivative, imitative, ready-made, tried-and-true, unimaginative, uninspired, unoriginal, normal, ordinary, rote, routine, standard, stock, typical, usual, arid, barren, boring, colorless, drab, dreary, drudging, dry, dull, dusty, flat, heavy, ho-hum, humdrum, jading, jejune, leaden, mind-numbing, monotonous, numbing, old, pedantic, pedestrian, ponderous, prosaic, stodgy, stuffy, tame, tedious, tiresome, tiring, undramatic, uninteresting, vapid, wearisome, weary, wearying, old-fashioned, old hat
    opposite: fresh, new, novel, original, unclichéd, unhackneyed
    near: animating, energizing, enlivening, exciting, galvanizing, invigorating, stimulating, absorbing, engaging, engrossing, gripping, interesting, intriguing, involving, riveting, atypical, extraordinary, strange, unaccustomed, uncommon, unfamiliar, unheard-of, unknown, unprecedented, unusual, pathbreaking, pioneering, trailblazing

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Banal

The most common words with a similar meaning to Banal:

flat, insipid, milk-and-water, namby-pamby, watery, wishy-washy, cliché, clichéd, cobwebby, commonplace, hack, hackney, hackneyed, moth-eaten, musty, obligatory, shopworn, stale, stereotyped, threadbare, timeworn, tired, trite, well-worn

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Banal

Words with the opposite meaning of Banal:

fresh, new, novel, original, unclichéd, unhackneyed

Related Words for Banal

unexciting, uninspiring, unrewarding, bland, boring, drab, dreary, dry, dull, heavy, humdrum, jading, leaden, lifeless, monotonous, pedestrian, ponderous, tedious, tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, vapid, wearisome, weary, wearying, inane, innocuous, inoffensive, mild, soft

Near Antonyms of Banal

piquant, poignant, pungent, racy, spicy, meaty, substantial, entertaining, exciting, galvanizing, inspiring, invigorating, thrilling, animating, energizing, enlivening, stimulating, absorbing, engaging, engrossing, gripping, interesting, intriguing, involving, riveting, atypical, extraordinary, strange, unaccustomed, uncommon

Word Forms of Banal

Derived words: banalize (transitive verb), banally (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Banal

borrowed from French, "pertaining to a feudal lord's right to extract usage fees for mills, ovens, etc., within his jurisdiction, available for general use, ordinary, commonplace, trite," going back to Old French bannel "subject to a feudal lord's jurisdiction, of seigneurial authority," borrowed from Medieval Latin bannālis, banālis "ordered by a ban, invested with public authority," from bannus, bannum "order given by a public authority, authority, jurisdiction" (borrowed from Old Low Franconian *banna- "call to arms by a lord") + Latin -ālis -al:1 ban:2

First known use: 1825

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Banal

Frequently Asked Questions about Banal

What does "Banal" mean?

"Banal" means lacking originality, freshness, or novelty, trite. As an adjective, it is defined as: lacking originality, freshness, or novelty, trite. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Banal"?

Other words for "Banal" include flat, insipid, milk-and-water, namby-pamby, watery, wishy-washy, cliché and clichéd. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Banal" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Banal"?

There are 99 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Banal". Common alternatives include flat, insipid, milk-and-water, namby-pamby, watery, wishy-washy, cliché, clichéd, cobwebby and commonplace.

What is the opposite of "Banal"?

Antonyms of "Banal" include fresh, new, novel, original, unclichéd and unhackneyed. Near antonyms include piquant, poignant, pungent and racy.

How do you use "Banal" in a sentence?

Examples of "Banal" in a sentence: "unlike their early work, the band's latest offering is banal and uninspiring"; "please find new ways of phrasing your thoughts instead of relying on banal expressions".

Is "Banal" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Banal" is an adjective.

Is "Banal" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Banal" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Banal"?

"Banal" is pronounced /bə-ˈnal/ and divided into syllables as ba·nal.