bland

adjective

ˈbland 

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

ˈblan(d)-lē 

adverb

blandness

ˈblan(d)-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• balmy
• benign
• delicate
• gentle
• light
• mellow
• mild
• nonabrasive
• soft
• soothing
• tender

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

Early Turning Point memes read as though the organization had hired a Popsicle-stick-joke writer to make bland, conservative-minded witticisms. —Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024

The Casserole Is Bland Another one of the most common green bean casserole mistakes is to choose a recipe that’s a bit too simple, which can result in a bland dish. —Jill Schildhouse, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2024

Like so many streaming-era documentaries, the picture effectively opens with a trailer for itself, briefly previewing its main points before settling into a by-now familiar cadence of bland insights, light historical context, and obvious music cues. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024

With its sympathetic portraits of Donald Trump and Roy Cohn, The Apprentice is, in the end, yet another bland Hollywood biopic. —A. S. Hamrah, The New York Review of Books, 31 Oct. 2024

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

Kids Definition

bland

adjective

ˈbland 

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

ˈblan-(d)lē 

adverb

blandness

ˈblan(d)-nəs 

noun