Synonyms for

Stale

Verb / steɪl / Another word for stale — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

not fresh; no longer new or interesting

Synonyms & similar words

cold dusty fresh motheaten old musty rancid stagnant flat dry dull weary boring uninspired wearisome tired outdated outmoded antiquated dated obsolete archaic hoary moldering

Synonyms by register

Formal

trite hackneyed unoriginal banal

Informal

old boring overused tired

Literary

fusty musty jejune

Antonyms

fresh new original creative invigorating lively modern

Common collocations

  • stale bread
  • stale air
  • stale joke
  • stale argument
  • stale idea
  • stale news
  • stale water

Word family

noun staleness
verb stale
adjective stale

Usage note

Primarily used to describe food that is no longer fresh or ideas/humor that have become uninteresting due to overuse. Can also refer to air that is not circulating.

Example sentences

  1. The chips were stale and tasted like cardboard.
  2. I don't like to eat stale bread.
  3. The air in the room smelled stale and musty.
  4. The conversation had become stale and boring.
  5. The cake was stale and dry.

Quotes

  • A stale article, if you dip it in a good, warm, sunny smile, will go off better than a fresh one that you've scowled upon. - Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow. - Rupert Murdoch
  • Don't let yesterday take up too much of today. - Will Rogers

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