English Explanatory Dictionary

banal

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj

Common in a boring way, to the point of being predictable; containing nothing new or fresh.
Relating to a type of feudal jurisdiction or service.

Pronunciation

/bəˈnɑːl/ /ˈbeɪnəl/ /bəˈnæl/ en-uk-banal.ogg

Word forms

banal more banal banaler most banal banalest bannal

Etymology

Borrowed from French banal (“held in common, relating to feudal service, by extension commonplace”), from Old French banel, related to Medieval Latin bannālis (“subject to feudal authority”), from Latin bannus (“jurisdiction”), both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *bannaną (“to order, summon, forbid”). Equivalent to ban + -al. See also ban, abandon.

Synonyms

everyday prosaic mundane banal bathetic bromidic cheesy clichéd commonplace corny dog-eared hackneyed hoary overdone overused overworked pat played out shopworn stale threadbare timeworn tired trite warmed-over well-worn basic beat blah bland boring cold colourless drab stuffy dreich drowsy dull dull as dishwater flat heavy going ho-hum humdrum insipid lackluster lame languid lifeless longsome monotonous no fun at parties plain plodding prosy pedantic pedestrian static straightforward snoozeworthy soporific

Antonyms

new original

Derived words

banalise banality banalize banally banalness

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