English vocabulary · B2
Stale
/steɪl/ · adj.
Stale means old and no longer fresh or good to eat. Bread can become hard, dry, and not nice to eat.
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Example sentences
- These chips taste stale.
- The room had stale air after days with no open window.
Word origin and roots
from Old French
- estale — stand (from Old French)
Synonyms and nuances
- OLD — not new or fresh (Not New)
- DRY — not wet (Without Water)
- FLAT — without fresh taste (With No Fresh Taste)
Lesson notes
Stale means old and no longer fresh or good to eat. Bread can become hard, dry, and not nice to eat.
Related: old, dry, flat. Use stale for food, air, or ideas that have been the same too long.
These chips taste stale. The room had stale air after days with no open window.
From Old French. Estale means stand. Food that stands too long loses its fresh taste and becomes stale.