staler; stalest
1
: tasteless or unpalatable from age
stale bread
2
: tedious from familiarity
a stale routine
3
: impaired in legal force or effect by reason of being allowed to rest without timely use, action, or demand
a stale affidavit
a stale debt
4
: impaired in vigor or effectiveness
staleness
noun
staled; staling
: to become stale
: urine of a domestic animal (such as a horse)
Synonyms
Examples of stale in a Sentence
Adjective
a room filled with stale smoke
viewers were bored by the stale story lines of the new crop of sitcoms
Recent Examples on the Web
Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024
The constant backtracking makes combat stale after a while.
—George Yang, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2024
Rita Dove, Bon Appétit, 8 Aug. 2023
Blinkie’s Donut Emporium, owned by a Cambodian American father-daughter duo, offers handmade donuts daily, always closing at noon so their selection never stales.
—Theo Stroomer, National Geographic, 5 June 2019
Yec, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
Is the information being presented by the F.B.I. to the court stale?
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022
See all Example Sentences for stale 
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Adjective
Thanks to their shape and tortoiseshell pattern, these 100 percent UV-blocking shades won’t feel stale next season, despite fitting squarely into this year’s oversized aviator trend.
—Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024
The constant backtracking makes combat stale after a while.
—George Yang, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
Stone Fruit Brown Betty Got summer fruit and a few slices of staling sandwich bread?
—Rita Dove, Bon Appétit, 8 Aug. 2023
Blinkie’s Donut Emporium, owned by a Cambodian American father-daughter duo, offers handmade donuts daily, always closing at noon so their selection never stales.
—Theo Stroomer, National Geographic, 5 June 2019
Noun
One trait of stale and out-of-touch leadership teams is a disconnect between seniority levels.
—Yec, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2023
Is the information being presented by the F.B.I. to the court stale?
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022
See all Example Sentences for stale
Dictionary Entries Near stale
Cite this Entry
“Stale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stale. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stale
1 of 2 adjective
staler; stalest
1
: having lost a good taste or quality from age
stale food
2
: used or heard so often as to be dull
stale news
3
: not so strong, effective, or energetic as before
felt stale from lack of exercise
staleness
noun
stale
2 of 2 verb
staled; staling
: to make or become stale
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