banal
banal
Definition
ba·nal (bā′nəl; bə nal′, -näl′)
adjective
dull or stale as because of overuse; trite; hackneyed; commonplace
Etymology: Fr < OFr, designating objects (such as ovens or mills) belonging to feudal serfs (hence common, ordinary) < ban, decree, legal control: see ban
ba·nal′·ity (bə nal′ə tē, bā-) noun pl. -·ties
ba′·nally adverb
banal
Synonyms
banal
Usage Examples
Infinitive complement
- dress: So, why does marketing provide the cloak that allows the ill-conceived and banal to dress up as brilliant insight?
Adjective complement with noun phrase
- find: He doesn't like English poetry he finds English poetry very banal.
Modifies a noun
- lyric: And the ability to invest sometimes banal lyrics with meaning and worth is another weapon essential weapon in a jazz singer's armory.
- observation: At this point, it is worth making a banal yet apparently necessary observation about British society today.
- reality: The banal realities of the film industry really do determine what we see on screen.
- object: It is iteration that interests them, and the diverse reactions inspired by apparently banal, mass-produced objects.
- image: For his postcards, Mannocci deliberately chooses the banal clichéd image and sets out to alter its course according to his inner world.
- question: The banal questions she asked the housemates on Friday night ( including the absurd ' How would you like to be remembered?
Modifying Another Word
- utterly: What better way to fill the time than to write an utterly banal post about the weather?
- seemingly: Note how the author's seemingly banal insights into his own life come together to form a coherent, devastating whole.
- rather: South, I sense, finds this rather banal.
- pretty: Not everything works, for example " Rock Star " is a pretty banal song.
- totally: This should have been a thriller on par with The Gift, but instead is totally banal.
- almost: As for Tiger's play-off secret - he made it sound almost banal.
Used with adjective complement
Browse dictionary entries near banal
- Ban-Lon
- ban
- bamboozle
- bamboo curtain
- bamboo
- bambino
- Bamako
- bam
- Balzac
- balustrade
- banality
- banana
- banana oil
- banana republic
- banana seat
- banana spider
- bananas
- Banat
- banausic
- Banbury tarts
