stale
/steɪl/ adjective B2- No longer fresh, in reference to food, urine, straw, wounds, etc. · Near-synonyms: gone bad, spoiled; see also Thesaurus:rotten
- No longer fresh, new, or interesting, in reference to ideas and immaterial things; clichéd, hackneyed, dated.
- Not new or recent; having been in place or in effect for some time.
- Unreasonably long in coming, in reference to claims and actions. · a stale affidavit· a stale demand
- Worn out, particularly due to age or over-exertion, in reference to athletes and animals in competition.
- Out of date, unpaid for an unreasonable amount of time, particularly in reference to checks.
- Of data: out of date; not synchronized with the newest copy. · The bug was found to be caused by stale data in the cache.
Comparative staler · Superlative stalest
From the library
To Anne in particular things seemed fearfully flat, stale, and unprofitable after the goblet of excitement she had been sipping for weeks.
“I trust that age doth not wither nor custom stale my infinite variety,” said he, and I recognized in his voice the joy and pride which the artist takes in his own creation.
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