banal
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See commonplace.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of banal
First recorded in 1745–55; from French, Old French: “pertaining to a ban”; equivalent to ban 2 + -al 1
Explanation
If something is boring and unoriginal, it's banal. Banal things are dull as dishwater. Ever notice how some TV shows, songs, and even phrases are boring and unoriginal? It's like you've seen or heard the same thing a million times. Anything that's unoriginal and dull is banal — a fancy word for things that bore you to tears. When you're writing, try not to be banal. Clichés and dull topics are banal. New ideas, fresh language, and unusual subject matter can keep your writing from being dreary and banal.
Vocabulary lists containing banal
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Hunger Games
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Working with screenwriter Will Soodik, Parsons has gone back into that banal maze to find an uncannily mature story about loss and stagnation, about how our self-serving narratives barricade us from emotional growth.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
Golaszewski explains it's not intentional and he's showing that "the truth of grief is that it is banal".
From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026
The short video posts on platforms like TikTok show how even just the words "Tokyo, Japan" with a cherry blossom emoji can make an otherwise banal street scene more appealing for some users.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
SEOUL—At a televised policy meeting last month, South Korea President Lee Jae Myung launched into a seemingly banal discussion about healthcare.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026
His confusion is so deep it can only be represented with the most banal questions.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
