1
a
: smooth and soothing in manner or quality
bland approval
a bland smile
b
: exhibiting no personal concern or embarrassment : unperturbed
a bland confession of guilt
2
a
: not irritating, stimulating, or invigorating : soothing
a bland oil
the bland climate of the southern coast
b
: dull, insipid
bland stories with little plot or action
a bland rendition of the song
c
: lacking strong flavor
Expect both kinds of salsify to be subtle and delicate—too bland for some tastebuds.Elizabeth Schneider
blandly adverb
blandness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for bland

suave, urbane, diplomatic, bland, smooth, politic mean pleasantly tactful and well-mannered.

suave suggests a specific ability to deal with others easily and without friction.

a suave public relations coordinator

urbane implies high cultivation and poise coming from wide social experience.

an urbane traveler

diplomatic stresses an ability to deal with ticklish situations tactfully.

a diplomatic negotiator

bland emphasizes mildness of manner and absence of irritating qualities.

a bland master of ceremonies

smooth suggests often a deliberately assumed suavity.

a smooth salesman

politic implies shrewd as well as tactful and suave handling of people.

a cunningly politic manager

Examples of bland in a Sentence

The vegetable soup was rather bland. The diplomat's bland statement did nothing to calm the situation.
Recent Examples on the Web If there ever was cause for a redo, writes Swed, it could be found in the bland, corporate Symphony Towers, which have been reimagined to stunning effect by architectural firm HGA and acoustician Paul Scarbrough. Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024 Gradually, the ingredients began to change, and the flavors became less bland. Terry Baddoo, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024 Mobile marketing is often worse – consumers are bombarded with text messages and bland emails, which arrive too frequently, and are too generic, or superficially personalized in artificially friendly language. Beth Ann Kaminkow, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 Their hopefulness—conveyed not in still images or bland DMs but in growing smiles and flirtatious tones—was deeply affecting. Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 12 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bland 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bland.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin blandus "influencing others by flattery, ingratiating, insidious, calm, gentle, agreeable to the senses, pleasant," of uncertain origin

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bland was in 1565

Dictionary Entries Near bland

Cite this Entry

“Bland.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bland. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bland

adjective
1
: smooth and soothing in manner : gentle
a bland smile
2
a
: having soft and soothing qualities : not irritating
bland diet
b
: not interesting : dull
a bland story
blandly adverb
blandness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on bland

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