prosaic

American  

[proh-zey-ik] / proʊˈzeɪ ɪk /

Sometimes prosaical

adjective

1. commonplace or dull; matter-of-fact or unimaginative.

   a prosaic mind.

   Synonyms:

   uninteresting, tiresome, tedious, humdrum, vapid, everyday, ordinary

2. 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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prosaic British  

/ prəʊˈzeɪɪk /

adjective

1. lacking imagination

2. having the characteristics of prose

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Other Word Forms

• nonprosaic adjective
• nonprosaically adverb
• nonprosaicness noun
• prosaically adverb
• prosaicness noun
• unprosaic adjective
• unprosaical adjective
• unprosaically adverb
• unprosaicness noun

Etymology

Origin of prosaic

First recorded in 1650–60, prosaic is from the Late Latin word prōsaicus. See prose, -ic

Example Sentences

But a new report argues that the real engine of Indian generosity is far more prosaic - and vastly larger.

From BBC

As the pair do some sightseeing, share meals and otherwise fill their days with prosaic acts, more than 30 minutes of screen time elapses in what amounts to stage-setting.

From The Wall Street Journal

Right now, however, the economy is reliant on something more prosaic: fishing and a recent surge in investment to build new airports.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The reality, however, is more prosaic: productivity growth is often noisy from quarter-to-quarter and substantially different from its underlying trend.”

From Barron's

“The reality, however, is more prosaic: productivity growth is often noisy from quarter-to-quarter and substantially different from its underlying trend.”

From Barron's

Related Words

• banal
• drab
• everyday
• humdrum
• mundane
• workaday