banal

/bəˈnæl/adjective

So ordinary and unoriginal that it feels dull and easy to predict.

Example sentence

“The film's plot was banal, and I guessed the ending within ten minutes.”

Pronunciation is famously unsettled: buh-NAL, buh-NAHL, and BAY-nul are all in respectable use.

Featured as word of the day on February 21, 2026.

Related words

bandageA length of soft fabric wrapped around an injured part of the body to cover or support it.balconyA platform attached to the outside of a building, usually reached through an upper-floor door or window.bandwidthHow quickly data can travel through a digital connection, usually counted in bits per second.balanceA condition where different forces are evenly matched, so nothing tips one way or the other.banishTo force a person to leave a place and not allow them to come back.bakeTo prepare food by cooking it with dry heat inside an oven.