bland
1 Americanadjective
-
pleasantly gentle or agreeable.
a bland, affable manner.
-
soothing or balmy, as air.
a bland southern breeze.
- Antonyms:
- harsh
-
nonirritating, as food or medicines.
a bland diet.
- Antonyms:
- irritating
-
not highly flavored; mild; tasteless.
a bland sauce.
-
lacking in special interest, liveliness, individuality, etc.; insipid; dull.
a bland young man; a bland situation comedy.
-
unemotional, indifferent, or casual.
his bland acknowledgment of guilt.
noun
adjective
-
devoid of any distinctive or stimulating characteristics; uninteresting; dull
bland food
-
gentle and agreeable; suave
-
(of the weather) mild and soothing
-
unemotional or unmoved
a bland account of atrocities
Other Word Forms
- blandly adverb
- blandness noun
Etymology
Origin of bland
First recorded in 1590–1600, bland is from the Latin word blandus of a smooth tongue, pleasant, soothing
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Along Portugal’s main north-south highway, there are more than enough bland American-style rest stops, but one turnoff decidedly worth the detour is the 45-minute road to Batalha.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
The self-proclaimed Captain of Brewdog, Watt regularly attacked the "bland and insipid" big beer companies like Heineken.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
The grocery store offers blackberries in January, cherries in October, tomatoes that arrive with the bland composure of year-round availability.
From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026
Work starts around sunrise for many of the federal officers carrying out the immigration crackdown in and around the Twin Cities, with people in tactical gear streaming from a bland office building.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026
Despite his bland supper, despite the nagging message broadcast in his head, and despite the uncertainty of his plan, he felt a stirring in his heart, a good feeling that might pass for hope.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
