Stale

Quick meaning: Stale is an adjective meaning No longer fresh, in reference to food, urine, straw, wounds, etc.

Meaning

No longer fresh, in reference to food, urine, straw, wounds, etc.

More Meanings

1. No longer fresh, new, or interesting, in reference to ideas and immaterial things; clichéd, hackneyed, dated.
2. (in general) Not new or recent; having been in place or in effect for some time.
3. (agriculture, obsolete) Fallow, in reference to land.
4. (law) Unreasonably long in coming, in reference to claims and actions.
5. Worn out, particularly due to age or over-exertion, in reference to athletes and animals in competition.
6. (obsolete, of alcohol) Clear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong.
7. (obsolete) No longer nubile or suitable for marriage, in reference to people; past one's prime.

Example Sentences

Doist thou smyle to reade this stale and beggarlye stuffe.

Near-synonyms: gone bad, spoiled; see also Thesaurus:rotten

New freshe blood to ouersprinkle their stale mete that it may seme...newly kylled.

Stale as breed or drinke is, rassis. Stale as meate is that begynneth to savoure, viel.

Word Forms

• staler
• stalest
• stales
• staling
• staled
• stail

Synonyms for stale

Depending on context, synonyms include handle, haft, helve, shaft, snath, stem.

Antonyms for stale

Common opposites include fresh.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include spoiled, spoilt, addled, limp, wilted, hard.

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