prosaic
[proh-zey-ik]
- commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative: a prosaic mind.
- of or having the character or form of prose, the ordinary form of spoken or written language, rather than of poetry.
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Sometimes pro·sa·i·cal.
Origin of prosaic
Synonyms
See more synonyms for prosaic on Thesaurus.com1. ordinary, everyday; vapid, humdrum, tedious, tiresome, uninteresting.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for prosaic
Historical Examples
Prosaic people would say "melted snow water," but Hans Andersen would have known better than that.
The Flaming Sword in Serbia and ElsewhereMabel Annie Boulton Stobart
Prosaic needles and thread assumed a mysterious charm in the dimpled hands of the girl he loved.
The Shadow of VictoryMyrtle Reed
In Prosaic Misunderstandings he makes us realise precisely what we mean by religion.
Why we should readS. P. B. Mais
Prosaic cow-punching was relegated to the rear and they looked eagerly forward to their several missions.
Hopalong Cassidy's Rustler Round-UpClarence Edward Mulford
Prosaic critics point out that such bowers were used as isolation huts for suspected cases.
Bonnie ScotlandA.R. Hope Moncrieff
prosaic
- lacking imagination
- having the characteristics of prose
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Word Origin
C16: from Late Latin prōsaicus, from Latin prōsa prose
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for prosaic
adj.
1650s, "having to do with prose," from Middle French prosaique and directly from Medieval Latin prosaicus "in prose" (16c.), from Latin prosa "prose" (see prose). Meaning "having the character of prose (in contrast to the feeling of poetry)" is by 1746; extended sense of "ordinary" is by 1813, both from French.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper