Stale
volume
British pronunciation/stˈe‍ɪl/
American pronunciation/ˈsteɪɫ/

Definition & Meaning of "stale"

01

(of food, particularly cake and bread) not fresh anymore, due to exposure to air or prolonged storage

stale definition and meaning
example
Example
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The bread became stale after sitting out on the counter for several days.
She found the crackers in the pantry had gone stale, lacking their usual crispness.
02

lacking freshness or excitement due to overuse, age, or repetition

example
Example
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The party 's playlist felt stale, with the same songs played repeatedly throughout the night.
Their conversation topics became stale, lacking the excitement they once had.
2.1

no longer valid or useful because it has not been acted on in time

example
Example
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The company rejected the stale application because it was submitted after the deadline.
The court threw out the stale evidence, as it had n’t been presented in a timely manner.
03

(of air, smoke, or water) lacking movement or flow, causing an unpleasant smell or taste

example
Example
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The room smelled of stale air after being closed for hours.
The water in the bottle tasted stale after sitting in the sun all day.
04

(of a person) having lost creativity or effectiveness from doing something too long

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Example
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After years of handling the same projects, he felt stale and disconnected from his work.
The teacher started feeling stale, unable to motivate her students like she once did.
to stale
01

to urinate, especially used when referring to an animal, particularly a horse

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Example
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The horse staled by the roadside during the ride.
After being let out, the cattle staled in the pasture.
02

to make something no longer fresh, often due to neglect or lack of use

Transitive
example
Example
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The warm weather staled the bread, making it lose its freshness.
Leaving the milk out for too long staled it, making it undrinkable.
03

to lose freshness and become dry over time

Intransitive
example
Example
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The bread staled overnight after being left uncovered.
The cake staled by the next morning, losing its freshness.
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