Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Lacking flavor; having no distinctive or pleasant taste: Describes food, drink, or substances that are bland, insipid, or flavorless.
   • Lacking aesthetic or social taste; showing poor judgment regarding what is attractive, appropriate, or polite: Describes objects, decorations, behavior, or remarks that are considered vulgar, garish, or offensive due to a lack of refinement or sensitivity.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective (Lacking flavor):

  • The soup was completely tasteless without any salt or herbs.
  • Some brands of bottled water taste almost tasteless to me.

• Adjective (Lacking aesthetic/social taste):

  • The hotel lobby was decorated in a gaudy and tasteless style.
  • Making jokes about the tragedy was a tasteless remark.

Advanced Usage

• "tastelessly" (adverb): In a manner that shows a lack of taste.
  • The mansion was tastelessly decorated with gold-plated fixtures everywhere.
• "tastelessness" (noun): The quality or state of being tasteless.
  • The tastelessness of his comments offended many guests.

Variants and Related Words

• Flavorless / Flavourless (adj): Having little or no flavor. (A close synonym for the first meaning).
• Bland (adj): Lacking strong flavor; also can mean lacking interesting qualities. (Often a milder synonym for the first meaning).
• Vulgar (adj): Lacking sophistication or good taste; coarse. (A stronger synonym for the second meaning, often implying offensiveness).
• Garish (adj): Obtrusively bright and showy; lurid. (A synonym related specifically to visually tasteless things).
• Tasteful (adj): Showing good aesthetic or social judgment. (The direct antonym).

Synonyms

• For "lacking flavor": Insipid, flat, unappetizing, watery.
• For "lacking aesthetic/social taste": Tacky, crass, kitschy, uncouth, indelicate.

Related Phrases

• In poor taste: A common phrase meaning tasteless, especially regarding behavior or comments.
  • Wearing jeans to the formal wedding was in poor taste.

Related Idioms

• A joke in bad taste: A joke that is offensive or inappropriate.
  • His story about the accident was a joke in bad taste.

Adjective

1. lacking aesthetic or social taste
2. lacking flavor