1
as in cliche
used or heard so often as to be dull
viewers were bored by the stale story lines of the new crop of sitcoms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
the sequel is basically a stale remake of the first movie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stale
The Institute’s facilities are austere and a little stale, reflecting an underfunded government program and an underfunded television show in which the coolest visual element relates to the glowing red ear tag stapled to the kids upon their arrival.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025
Stripping it out this way often strips other characteristics of the beverage, leaving them tasting stale, which is why juices, sugars and botanicals are often added afterwards.
—Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Like the Gramercy, Boca has a reliable excellence and shows no signs of growing stale.
—Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Overall, the housing supply is at a five-year high, with nearly half of those unsold listings considered stale at 60 days or more on the market.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stale
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2025
Stripping it out this way often strips other characteristics of the beverage, leaving them tasting stale, which is why juices, sugars and botanicals are often added afterwards.
—Andrew Watman, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
Like the Gramercy, Boca has a reliable excellence and shows no signs of growing stale.
—Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Overall, the housing supply is at a five-year high, with nearly half of those unsold listings considered stale at 60 days or more on the market.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stale
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stale
Adjective
-
Hunter: The Reckoning puts players in the role of regular people who know monsters are real and can’t go back to their old, boring lives.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
The real world is monochromatic, straightforward, boring.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
19 July 2025
Adjective
-
Several leaders described the pressure of being both highly visible and easily stereotyped.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
-
Their negative stereotyped reputation seems to follow them like ageism follows older employees or sexism follows female employees.—
Bryan Robinson,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The committee is seeking old photographs and historical information about Pea Ridge and the years before there was a newspaper.—
Annette Beard,
Arkansas Online,
24 July 2025
-
Delaying tree harvests and protecting older forests enhances carbon sequestration, making untouched forests vital for reducing carbon dioxide and combating climate change.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
Already, 47% of clinicians report that being tired has impacted their abilities to treat patients.—
Victoria Feng,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
His legs are going to be a little tired, as to be expected.—
Roderick Boone
Updated July 11,
Charlotte Observer,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
For starters, the daily office routine was more tiring than what I was accustomed to back in Israel.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 July 2025
-
So 22 years ago, when her mother was pregnant with her older sister, the couple made a long and tiring trek across the border to the US.—
Jennifer Hauser,
CNN Money,
17 July 2025
Adjective
-
Similarly, the billionaire-villain forgery subplot and the insertion of romance into team dynamics came across as forced, hackneyed and unnecessary.—
Karl Moore,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
-
This hackneyed stance has turned his concert performances shrill and hollow.—
Armond White,
National Review,
28 May 2025
Adjective
-
And the family members of the missing — from the camp and elsewhere — continue to grow weary.—
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán,
NPR,
7 July 2025
-
Officials noted that the public can grow weary from too many flooding alerts or forecasts that turn out to be minor.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
Skin Conditions Dry, itchy skin, and wounds or cuts that are slow to heal can be a sign of hyperglycemia.—
Barbie Cervoni,
Verywell Health,
15 July 2025
-
Without automation, errors are common and reimbursement is slow.—
Duke Chung,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stale. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share