Meaning & use
nondescript
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Having no special or interesting features, so that it is hard to notice or remember.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after linking verbs: a nondescript building; the building was nondescript.
Patterns
- a nondescript building
- a nondescript man
- look nondescript
They met in a nondescript office block near the station.
He wore a nondescript gray jacket that no one would notice.
The town was pleasant but entirely nondescript, with nothing worth photographing.
adjectivecomparable
Deliberately plain and without anything that attracts attention.
Grammar: Often used when the plainness seems intentional, as in clothing or vehicles used to avoid notice.
Patterns
- a nondescript van
- nondescript clothing
- deliberately nondescript
The witness remembered only a nondescript white van.
She chose nondescript clothes so she would blend into the crowd.
The safe house was a nondescript apartment above a shop.
Word forms
| comparative | more nondescript |
|---|---|
| superlative | most nondescript |
Common combinations
- a nondescript building
- The clinic is in a nondescript building on the corner.
- a nondescript man
- A nondescript man in a cap delivered the package.
- nondescript clothing
- They asked everyone to wear nondescript clothing.
- rather nondescript
- The hotel room was clean but rather nondescript.
- completely nondescript
- The village looked completely nondescript from the road.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ordinary
- Ordinary means not unusual or special, but it does not suggest that something is hard to notice or remember as strongly as nondescript does.
- unremarkable
- Unremarkable means nothing about it deserves comment; nondescript adds the idea of being bland and easy to overlook.
- plain
- Plain often describes simple design or appearance without decoration; nondescript focuses on the lack of any distinctive quality.
- featureless
- Featureless means having no features at all, often of landscapes or surfaces; nondescript things do have features, just dull ones.
Opposites
Word family
- nondescriptly adverb
- in a way that attracts no attention; rare
Commonly confused: nondescript or indescribable? nondescript or nonscript?
nondescript vs indescribable
Indescribable means too extreme or strange to put into words, as in 'indescribable joy'; nondescript means dull and without distinctive features.
nondescript vs nonscript
'Nonscript' is not a standard English word; learners sometimes misspell nondescript by dropping the 'de'.
Practice
Choose the sentence where 'nondescript' fits best.
Choose one answer.
'Nondescript' describes something plain and easy to overlook, so the beige coat fits. The other options describe things that are exciting, memorable, or boldly colorful, which is the opposite of nondescript.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nondescript”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.