Stale

Having lost freshness, flavor, or vigor due to age or exposure to air. It can describe food that is no longer edible or pleasant, or even ideas, conversations, or performances that have become uninteresting and repetitive.

stale things lack the appeal they once held, suggesting a decline in quality or effectiveness.

The term is widely applicable to both tangible and intangible elements, from bread and coffee to jokes and strategies.

Stale meaning with examples

The bread had become stale after sitting on the counter for a week, making it hard and unappetizing to eat.
His jokes were starting to feel stale; everyone had heard them before, and they no longer elicited laughter.
The air in the room was stale, heavy with the smell of old cigarette smoke, and needed ventilation desperately.
After years of negotiations, their arguments felt stale, repeating the same points without any real progress being made.
Her writing style had become stale; the same phrases and plot devices appeared in all her recent stories.

Stale Synonyms

banal dry flat hackneyed hard musty old trite unfresh worn

Stale Antonyms

crisp fresh innovative interesting lively new novel original

Stale Crossword Answers

3 Letters

DFG OLD

4 Letters

FLAT COLD PASS

5 Letters

PASSE TIRED TRITE DATED MUSTY VAPID MOLDY BANAL LEAST DUSTY

6 Letters

OLDHAT RANCID

8 Letters

SHOPWORN TIMEWORN STAGNANT

9 Letters

HACKNEYED MOTHEATEN

10 Letters

UNORIGINAL