Meaning & use
banal
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Ordinary and predictable in a way that is boring because it lacks new or interesting ideas.
Grammar: Gradable: banal, more banal, most banal. Often used critically.
Patterns
- a banal remark
- banal conversation
- seem banal
- sound banal
The film's plot was banal and easy to guess.
He made a few banal comments about the weather.
Their conversation was banal, full of clichés.
Word forms
| comparative | more banal |
|---|---|
| superlative | most banal |
Common combinations
- banal remark
- She was tired of his banal remarks.
- banal conversation
- The party was full of banal conversation.
- seem banal
- The idea may seem banal, but it works.
- banal and predictable
- The ending was banal and predictable.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trite
- Trite means overused and lacking freshness, often about phrases; banal is broader, describing anything dull and unoriginal.
- commonplace
- Commonplace simply means ordinary and not unusual; banal adds a critical judgment that it is boring.
- hackneyed
- Hackneyed is used mainly for ideas or expressions that have been repeated too often; banal can describe a whole style or atmosphere.
Opposites
Word family
- banality noun
- The quality of being banal, or a banal remark.
- banally adverb
- In a banal manner.
Commonly confused: banal or benign? banal or banal vs. mundane?
banal vs benign
Benign means harmless or kind; banal means dull and unoriginal. They sound somewhat similar but are unrelated.
banal vs banal vs. mundane
Mundane means ordinary and everyday, often without criticism; banal is stronger and suggests boring lack of originality.
Practice
The speech was full of ______ phrases that everyone had heard before.
Choose one answer.
The blank needs an adjective before 'phrases'. 'Banally' is an adverb, 'banality' is a noun, and 'banalness' is not a common word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “banal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.