Stale

/steɪl/ · adjective

Meaning

(obsolete, of alcohol) Clear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong..

Definitions by Sense

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

Example Sentences

The stronger Beere is divided into two parts (viz.) mild and stale; the first may ease a man of a drought, but the later is like water cast into a Smiths forge, and breeds more heartburning, and as rust eates into Iron, so overstale Beere gnawes auletholes in the entrales, or else my skill failes, and what I have written of it is to be held as a jest.

Particular care must be taken that the stale beer in which the isinglass is dissolved be perfectly clear and stale.

Is not that hard or stale beer mixed to give the porter the appearance of age at once, which formerly was allowed to be matured by time?

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.

To her surprise, Abe did not come to collect her for the usual morning inhabitation session with Azure. She did not see him until almost noon, when he personally delivered lunch to her tent. Another stale roll and cup of water sat on the tray he carried. Abe hung his head, as abashed as Honorato had been. “This is all I could sneak in for now. I'll try to get more later.”

Doist thou smyle to reade this stale and beggarlye stuffe.

Synonyms for stale

Antonyms for stale

Related Words

Word Forms

• staler
• stalest
• stales
• staling
• staled
• stele
• steal
• steel
• stail

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions