bland
/blænd/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Lacking strong flavor or taste: Used to describe food or drink that is not spicy, salty, sweet, or otherwise distinctive.
- Lacking interest or excitement; dull: Used to describe something that is unstimulating, uninteresting, or monotonous.
- Showing no strong emotion or features; smooth and agreeable in manner: Used to describe a person's demeanor, behavior, or expression that is calm, polite, and inoffensive, sometimes to the point of being unremarkable.
Usage and Examples
Describing Food or Taste:
- The soup was rather bland and needed more seasoning.
- Patients on a bland diet should avoid spicy foods.
Describing Something as Uninteresting:
- The lecture was so bland that several people fell asleep.
- He criticized the report for its bland analysis of the crisis.
Describing a Person's Manner:
- His bland smile gave nothing away about his true feelings.
- The spokesperson gave a bland response to the controversial question.
Advanced Usage
- "Blandishments" (noun): This is a related but distinct word meaning flattering or pleasing statements or actions used to persuade someone gently. It is not a direct variant of "bland" but shares an etymological root.
- She resisted his blandishments and refused the offer.
Variants and Related Words
- Blandly (adverb): In a bland manner.
- He smiled blandly and changed the subject.
- Blandness (noun): The quality of being bland.
- The blandness of the decor made the room feel impersonal.
Synonyms
- Flavorless / Tasteless: (For food) Having little or no flavor.
- Insipid / Vapid: Lacking flavor, interest, or liveliness.
- Dull / Uninteresting: Not exciting or engaging.
- Smooth / Unemotional: Calm and controlled, not showing feelings.
Antonyms
- Flavorful / Savory: Having a strong, pleasant taste.
- Spicy / Pungent: Having a hot, strong taste or smell.
- Exciting / Stimulating: Causing great interest or enthusiasm.
- Emotional / Expressive: Showing strong feelings.
Notes on Meaning
The word "bland" can describe three main areas: taste, interest, and manner. In all cases, it carries a connotation of a lack of distinctive or strong qualities. While it can be neutral (e.g., a medically recommended bland diet), it is often used in a slightly negative or critical way to describe something as boring, unoriginal, or overly cautious.
Adjective
- smoothly agreeable and courteous with a degree of sophistication
- he was too politic to quarrel with so important a personage
- the manager pacified the customer with a smooth apology for the error
- lacking stimulating characteristics; uninteresting
- a bland little drama
- a flat joke
- lacking taste or flavor or tang
- a bland diet
- insipid hospital food
- flavorless supermarket tomatoes
- vapid beer
- vapid tea