STALE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for STALE?

Need another word that means the same as “stale”? Find 27 synonyms and 30 related words for “stale” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Stale” are: cold, dusty, moth-eaten, dry, dried out, hard, hardened, old, past its best, past its sell-by date, hackneyed, tired, overworked, threadbare, banal, trite, stock, stereotyped, clichéd, run-of-the-mill, commonplace, platitudinous, unoriginal, derivative, unimaginative, uninspired, flat

Stale as an Adjective

Definitions of "Stale" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “stale” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• (of a cheque or legal claim) invalid because out of date.
• Lacking freshness, palatability, or showing deterioration from age.
• Lacking originality or spontaneity; no longer new.
• (of a person) no longer able to perform well or creatively because of having done something for too long.
• (of food) no longer fresh and pleasant to eat; hard, musty, or dry.
• No longer new and interesting or exciting.

Synonyms of "Stale" as an adjective (27 Words)

banal	So lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring. Songs with banal repeated words.
clichéd	Repeated regularly without thought or originality.
cold	Extended meanings especially of psychological coldness without human warmth or emotion. A sharp cold wind.
commonplace	Not interesting or original; trite. Commonplace everyday activities.
derivative	Originating from, based on, or influenced by. A highly derivative prose style.
dried out	Not still wet.
dry	Of noodles not served in a soup but in a sauce or with dry ingredients. A dry cow.
dusty	Staid and uninteresting. Dusty old records.
flat	Of a key having a flat or flats in the signature. The flat roof of a garage.
hackneyed	(of a phrase or idea) having been overused; unoriginal and trite. Hackneyed old sayings.
hard	Unfortunate or hard to bear. He d had a hard life.
hardened	Used of persons emotionally hardened. Hardened criminals.
moth-eaten	Lacking originality or spontaneity; no longer new.
old	Very familiar used for emphasis old adj skilled through long experience. The old quarter of the town.
overworked	(of a person) having to work beyond their capacity or strength. It s an overworked analogy.
past its best	Of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office.
past its sell-by date	Of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office.
platitudinous	Dull and tiresome but with pretensions of significance or originality. This may sound platitudinous.
run-of-the-mill	Not special in any way.
stereotyped	Lacking spontaneity or originality or individuality. The film is weakened by its stereotyped characters.
stock	Of a product or type of product usually kept in stock and thus regularly available for sale. The stock characters in every cowboy film.
threadbare	Having the nap worn away so that the threads show through. Tatty rooms with threadbare carpets.
tired	Bored or impatient with. She was tired out now that the strain was over.
trite	Repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse. The trite metaphor hard as nails.
unimaginative	Lacking spontaneity or originality or individuality. The audience proved sluggish and unimaginative.
uninspired	Deficient in originality or creativity; lacking powers of invention. They were uninspired by the Nationalist Party.
unoriginal	Lacking originality; derivative. His life had been unoriginal conforming completely to the given pattern.

Usage Examples of "Stale" as an adjective

• The beer was stale.
• Justifications for adverse possession go beyond stale claims.
• A top executive tends to get stale.
• Their marriage had gone stale.
• Stale bread.
• Stale news.

Associations of "Stale" (30 Words)

corrupt	Corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality. A corrupt and incompetent city government.
decay	Fall into decay or ruin. Facilities decay when money is not spent on refurbishment.
decayed	Having fallen into disrepair; deteriorated. Decayed animal and plant matter.
decompose	Separate (substances) into constituent elements or parts. Many chemicals decompose rapidly under high temperature.
depravity	Moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles. A tale of depravity hard to credit.
disenfranchise	Deprive of voting rights. The law disenfranchised some 3 000 voters on the basis of a residence qualification.
fetid	Offensively malodorous. The fetid water of the marsh.
flesh	Remove the flesh adhering to a skin or hide. He had fleshed out to a solid 220 pounds.
foul	Commit a foul break the rules. The midfielder was booked for a foul on Ford.
insensitivity	Lack of response to a physical sensation, chemical, etc. The growth of our insensitivity to things of beauty.
limp	A tendency to limp a gait impeded by injury or stiffness. He limped heavily as he moved.
lousy	Infested with lice. The town is lousy with tourists.
malodorous	Having an unpleasant smell. Leaking taps and malodorous drains.
musty	Having a stale, mouldy, or damp smell. A dark musty library.
noisome	Offensively malodorous. A noisome concoction of which cheap port is the basis.
noxious	Harmful, poisonous, or very unpleasant. They were overcome by the noxious fumes.
putrescent	Becoming putrid. The odour of putrescent flesh.
putrid	In an advanced state of decomposition and having a foul odor- Somerset Maugham. The putrid atmosphere of the court.
queasy	Nauseous; feeling sick. In the morning he was still pale and queasy.
rancid	Smelling of fermentation or staleness. Rancid meat.
rot	Liver rot in sheep. Has anybody been rotting you.
rotten	To an extreme degree; very much. Rotten floor boards.
sickening	Causing or able to cause nausea. A sickening stench.
smell	A quality in something that is perceived by the faculty of smell an odour or scent. It had the smell of treason.
stink	A row or fuss. A silly move now would kick up a stink we couldn t handle.
stinking	Foul-smelling. A stinking cold.
stump	Remove tree stumps from. The candidate stumped the Northeast.
unclean	Having a physical or moral blemish so as to make impure according to dietary or ceremonial laws. The firm was fined for operating in unclean premises.
underhand	Acting or done in a secret or dishonest way. Mean revenge committed underhand.
venal	Showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery; corrupt. Their generosity had been at least partly venal.