Banal
/bəˈnæl/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Banal describes things, ideas, or expressions that are very common and not new or special. They can feel dull or boring because they do not have anything original or exciting. People often use "banal" to say something is too simple or repeated too much.
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See It in Action
Ordinary and unoriginal, lacking new ideas or interest
- •The movie’s plot was banal and predictable.
- •His speech was full of banal phrases everyone had heard before.
- •The conversation became banal after a while, with nothing new to say.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "banal" like "boring" (A1 word), but it focuses on things that are dull because they are very common and repeated
- ✓Picture a story you have heard many times before with no surprises or new ideas
- ✓It's the feeling when you hear the same joke again and again, and it stops being funny
- ✓Sounds like "ban-ALL" → imagine everything being the same, like all things are boring and ordinary
- ✓Think of a movie that uses very simple and old ideas, so it feels dull and not exciting
- ✓NOT like "unique" (special and new), "banal" is the opposite—very usual and common
- ✓NOT like "complex" (hard to understand), "banal" is simple but in a negative way because it is unoriginal
- ✓NOT like "interesting" or "exciting," "banal" makes you feel uninterested or tired of hearing it
Try Other Words
- •Common: usual or normal (Use when you want to say something happens often but without the negative feeling of being dull)
- •Trite: overused and unoriginal (Use when you want a stronger negative meaning close to banal)
- •Ordinary: not special or different (Use when you want to say something is simple or normal without strong negativity)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no clear prefix or suffix, root is "banal")
- •Etymology: From French "banal," originally meaning something common or belonging to the community
- •Historical development: Used in English since the early 1800s to describe things that are ordinary and uninteresting
- •Modern usage: Used to describe ideas, speech, art, or anything that feels dull because it is repeated or not new
- •Interesting fact: The word originally related to common rights for peasants in medieval France, but now it means boring or unoriginal
Reflect & Connect
•Can something be too banal to enjoy, or can some banal things still be comforting and good?
•How do people decide if an idea or story is banal or original? What makes something feel fresh instead of banal?
Fill in the blanks
1.The movie was called banal because its plot was ___ and ___ no new ideas.
2.When a speech uses banal expressions, the audience often feels ___ and ___.
3.Unlike exciting stories, banal stories are ___ and ___ repeated many times.
4.She tried to avoid banal topics and instead talked about things that were ___ and ___.
5.The phrase became banal after people ___ it so many times in different places.
6.A banal conversation usually ___ people’s attention and makes them feel ___.
7.Writers try to make their stories less banal by adding ___ and ___ details.