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staleno longer fresh; having lost its original quality due to age or exposure

Part of speech: ADJECTIVE

Definition: no longer fresh; having lost its original quality due to age or exposure

Pronunciation (IPA): /steɪl/

Example Sentences

  • My roommate's dating advice is as stale as week-old pizza.
  • The comedian's stale routine made the audience check their phones.
  • She refused to eat the stale cookies from last week's meeting.

stale

ADJECTIVE

[/steɪl/]

no longer fresh; having lost its original quality due to age or exposure

The bread had gone stale after sitting out for three days.
💡 Concept

The bread had gone stale after sitting out for three days.

A stale tale told with a pale face
🎵 Rhyme

A stale tale told with a pale face

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/steɪl/
🇬🇧 UK/steɪl/

🌳Etymology

Rootstale

Origin

From Middle English and Old French 'estale,' derived from Germanic roots meaning 'standing' or 'fixed.' The word originally referred to something that had been standing or exposed for a long time, losing its freshness.

Breakdown

stale - from Old French 'estale' (standing, fixed) + suffix -e, ultimately from Germanic 'stal' (position, place) = stale (no longer fresh, worn out)

🎵Rhyme

talepalesalemailfail
tale
pale
sale
mail
fail

🔗Collocations

stale bread
stale joke
stale air
go stale
stale relationship
stale news

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

My roommate's dating advice is as stale as week-old pizza.

😄 Fun example

The comedian's stale routine made the audience check their phones.

She refused to eat the stale cookies from last week's meeting.

The office atmosphere became stale after years without innovation.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

oldmustyrancidoutdatedhackneyed

Antonyms

freshneworiginal

Related

moldyspoiledexpiredtasteless

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