Meaning of stale in English
Table of contents
Pronunciation
/steɪl/US accent
UK accent
to browse different examples of pronunciation.Verb
staleEtymology
late Middle English: perhaps from Old French estaler‘come to a stand, halt’ (compare with stale)Definitions
1. urinate, of cattle and horsesClassifying Adjective
staleDefinitions
1. lacking originality or spontaneityExamples
- « no longer new »
- « moth-eaten theories about race »
Synonyms
- 2. no longer new
Examples
- « uninteresting »
- « cold (or stale) news »
Synonyms
Qualitative Adjective
staleEtymology
Middle English (describing beer in the sense ‘clear from long standing, strong’): probably from Anglo-Norman French and Old French, from estaler‘to halt’; compare with the verb stallDefinitions
1. showing deterioration from ageExamples
- « stale bread »
Synonyms
Antonyms
Famous quotes
- « O God, O God, how weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable seem to me all the uses of this world! » William Shakespeare
- « What nature delivers to us is never stale. Because what nature creates has eternity in it. » Isaac Bashevis Singer
- « A stale article, if you dip it in a good, warm, sunny smile, will go off better than a fresh one that you've scowled upon. » Nathaniel Hawthorne
- « What's important at the grocery store is just as important in engines or medical systems. If the customer isn't satisfied, if the stuff is getting stale, if the shelf isn't right, or if the offerings aren't right, it's the same thing. You manage it like a small organization. You don't get hung up on zeros. » Jack Welch
- « Contrary to popular opinion, things don't go stale particularly fast in the art world. » Jerry Saltz