bland

[ bland ]

/ blænd /

adjective, bland·er, bland·est.

pleasantly gentle or agreeable: a bland, affable manner.

soothing or balmy, as air: a bland southern breeze.

nonirritating, as food or medicines: a bland diet.

not highly flavored; mild; tasteless: a bland sauce.

lacking in special interest, liveliness, individuality, etc.; insipid; dull: a bland young man; a bland situation comedy.

unemotional, indifferent, or casual: his bland acknowledgment of guilt.

Words nearby bland

blanche of castile, blanchett, blancmange, blanco, blanco-fombona, bland, bland diet, bland out, bland-allison act, blandish, blandishment

Origin of bland

First recorded in 1590–1600, bland is from the Latin word blandus of a smooth tongue, pleasant, soothing

SYNONYMS FOR bland

1 affable, mild, amiable; suave, urbane.

2, 3 soft, mild.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bland ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR bland

1 cruel; boorish.

2 harsh.

3 irritating.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR bland ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM bland

bland·ly, adverbbland·ness, noun

Definition for bland (2 of 2)

Bland

[ bland ]

/ blænd /

noun

James A(llen),1854–1911, U.S. songwriter and minstrel performer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for bland

The Butterbrief, issued by Pope Innocent VIII, was a turning point for the then bland Stollen, which gradually became sweeter.
One Cake to Rule Them All: How Stollen Stole Our Hearts|Molly Hannon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Because holy hell was that bland, unfunny, uncomfortable, and just plain confusing.
The Biggest Bombs of 2014: ‘Sex Tape,’ Mariah Carey’s Vocals, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and More|Kevin Fallon|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Head of State was prescient, but hollow; I Think I Love My Wife was bland; and the documentary Good Hair was fascinating fun.
Oscar Season Kicks Off in Toronto: Channing Tatum, Kristen Stewart, and More Court Awards Glory|Marlow Stern|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How strange to hear “Feel Like Going Home” in 1948 after years of the bland pop on the Hit Parade.
The Stacks: How Leonard Chess Helped Make Muddy Waters|Alex Belth|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Cosmetic surgery invites us to enter a dystopian universe in which everybody looks the same: poreless, ageless, blond and bland.
Nicole Kidman Botox Insanity: Why All Women Lose Out When We Obsess Over Stars’ Faces|Emma Woolf|May 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Days passed by without a brawl, and Bland's valley saw more successive hours of peace than ever before.
The Lone Star Ranger|Zane Grey
Are we, whose mother was a Fairfax, whose father was a Bland, sitting at our own table with a man who is not a gentleman by birth?
The Romance of a Plain Man|Ellen Glasgow
This day Mr. Bland went away hence towards his voyage to Tangier.
Diary of Samuel Pepys, Complete|Samuel Pepys
She paused intentionally, with an air of soft solicitude, of bland wisdom.
The Whirlpool|George Gissing
Seiden smiled again and this time it was not so bland as it was mechanical, suggesting the pulling of an invisible string.
The Competitive Nephew|Montague Glass

British Dictionary definitions for bland

bland

/ (blænd) /

adjective

devoid of any distinctive or stimulating characteristics; uninteresting; dullbland food

gentle and agreeable; suave

(of the weather) mild and soothing

unemotional or unmoveda bland account of atrocities

Derived forms of bland

blandly, adverbblandness, noun

Word Origin for bland

C15: from Latin blandus flattering

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bland

adjective, bland·er, bland·est.

Words related to bland

Words nearby bland

Origin of bland

SYNONYMS FOR bland

ANTONYMS FOR bland

OTHER WORDS FROM bland

Definition for bland (2 of 2)

noun

Examples from the Web for bland

British Dictionary definitions for bland

adjective

Derived forms of bland

Word Origin for bland