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banal

adjective/bəˈnæl/

definition

lacking originality or freshness; commonplace and trivial

example

The movie received criticism for its banal dialogue, failing to engage the audience with any original ideas.

synonyms
tritemundanecommonplace
word origin — from French 'banal', meaning 'belonging to a community or a common place', derived from Latin 'banalis', from 'banum', meaning 'a place of privilege or common rights'

banal, perfunctory, obtuse, prolific, fathomless: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from GRE Vocabulary set 118. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

  1. banal · adjective/bəˈnæl/

    lacking originality or freshness; commonplace and trivial

    The movie received criticism for its banal dialogue, failing to engage the audience with any original ideas.

    Synonyms: trite, mundane, commonplace

    Origin: from French 'banal', meaning 'belonging to a community or a common place', derived from Latin 'banalis', from 'banum', meaning 'a place of privilege or common rights'

  2. perfunctory · adjective/pərˈfʌŋk.tɔːr.i/

    done as a routine duty without real interest or effort

    His perfunctory nod indicated that he was not truly engaged in the conversation.

    Synonyms: cursory, superficial, automatic

    Origin: from Latin 'perfunctorius', meaning 'performed as a duty'.

  3. obtuse · adjective/əbˈtuːs/

    slow to understand or perceive ideas or concepts

    Despite the teacher's clear explanations, John remained obtuse about the new mathematical concepts being taught.

    Synonyms: dull, slow-witted, thick

    Origin: from Latin obtusus, meaning 'blunt' or 'dull', past participle of obtundere, 'to beat against or dull' (ob- 'against' + tundere 'to beat').

  4. prolific · adjective/prəˈlɪfɪk/

    producing a large amount of something

    The prolific author has published more than twenty novels in just a decade.

    Synonyms: fertile, productive, abundant

    Origin: from Latin 'prolificus', from 'proles' meaning 'offspring' and 'facere' meaning 'to make'.

  5. fathomless · adjective/ˈfæð.əm.ləs/

    impossible to measure or understand

    The depths of the ocean seemed fathomless, hiding mysteries that even the most experienced explorers could not comprehend.

    Synonyms: immeasurable, unfathomable, inscrutable

    Origin: From Middle English 'fathomless', derived from 'fathom' meaning the measure of depth, combined with the suffix '-less' indicating absence.