bland
1 Americanadjective
-
pleasantly gentle or agreeable.
a bland, affable manner.
-
soothing or balmy, as air.
a bland southern breeze.
- Antonyms:
- harsh
-
nonirritating, as food or medicines.
a bland diet.
- Antonyms:
- irritating
-
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.
noun
adjective
-
devoid of any distinctive or stimulating characteristics; uninteresting; dull
bland food
-
gentle and agreeable; suave
-
(of the weather) mild and soothing
-
unemotional or unmoved
a bland account of atrocities
Other Word Forms
- blandly adverb
- blandness noun
Etymology
Origin of bland
First recorded in 1590–1600, bland is from the Latin word blandus of a smooth tongue, pleasant, soothing
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.
"I think it's good that Timothée has said something interesting instead of the same bland, safe answers that many actors give," she says.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
Furnished in the bland decor of an extended-stay hotel, it lived up to its billing: recent construction, high ceilings, a patio and fenced yard.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
Work starts around sunrise for many of the federal officers carrying out the immigration crackdown in and around the Twin Cities, with people in tactical gear streaming from a bland office building.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026
Such content is "cheap, bland and mass-produced," Swiss engineer Yves, who declined to give his last name, told AFP, echoing discussions on social media website Reddit.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
Dignified, the old dog walked in, and gazed at the stove with bland confidence.
From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford
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.
