Word
stale
US/ˈsteɪɫ/
UK/stˈeɪl/
Definition
adj. describing food that is no longer fresh, usually because it has been sitting out for too long. It can also describe an idea or a joke that feels old and boring.
adj. referring to food, especially bread or pastry, that has become hard, dry, or unpalatable due to age. By extension, describes ideas, arguments, or activities that have lost their originality or excitement through repetition.
Examples
“The bread went stale because I left the bag open.”
“The air in the small, windowless office felt stale and heavy after the long meeting.”
“The candidate's campaign began to falter as voters grew weary of his stale rhetoric and lack of concrete policy proposals.”
Examples
simple
“The bread went stale because I left the bag open.”
contextual
“The air in the small, windowless office felt stale and heavy after the long meeting.”
complex
“The candidate's campaign began to falter as voters grew weary of his stale rhetoric and lack of concrete policy proposals.”
Usage
Commonly used both literally for food and figuratively for abstract concepts like air, ideas, or relationships.
Real-World Examples
“This could cause the chips to lose their crispness and become stale.” Etymology
From Middle English stale, from Old French estal (“fixed position, place”), but probably originally from Proto-Germanic *stāną (“to stand”): compare West Flemish stel in the same sense for ‘beer’ and ‘urine’.
From Middle English stale, from Old English stalu, from Proto-Germanic stal-; compare English stell from this root. The development was paralleled by the ablaut which became English steal, from Middle English stele, from Old English stela, from Proto-Germanic stel-. Both are from the same Proto-Indo-European root stel-, stol- (“to place, establish”), whence also Ancient Greek στελεός (steleós, “handle”). See also English stele.
From Middle English stale, from Old French estal (“place, something placed”) (compare French étal), from Frankish stal, from Proto-Germanic stallaz, earlier staþlaz. Related to stall and stand.
Noun from Middle English stale, from Anglo-Norman estal (“urine”), from Middle Dutch stal (“urine”). Cognate with Middle Low German stal (“horse urine; bowel movement”). Verb from Middle English stalen, from Old French estaler (“urinate”), related to Middle High German stallen (“to piss”).
From Middle English stale (“bird used as a decoy”), probably from uncommon Anglo-Norman estale (“pigeon used to lure hawks”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic, probably *standaną (“to stand”). Compare Old English stælhran (“decoy reindeer”) and Northumbrian stællo (“catching fish”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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