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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See all Example Sentences for bland 

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 22 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!