Standard Lemma guide

blandness

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈblændˌnɪs/
  • Australian: /ˈblæːndˌnəs/
  • Australian: [ble̞ːnd̚.nəs]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B L AE1 N D N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state, quality, or characteristic of being bland.

Mildness, gentleness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The state, quality, or characteristic of being bland.

Lack of taste or flavor.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: flavorlessness

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The state, quality, or characteristic of being bland.

Lack of interest or appeal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dullness, insipidness

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the trait of exhibiting no personal embarrassment or concern

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the blandness of his confession enraged the judge

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unemotionality, emotionlessness

5

noun

Meaning 5

the quality of being bland and gracious or ingratiating in manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: suavity, suaveness, smoothness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: graciousness

6

noun

Meaning 6

lacking any distinctive or interesting taste property

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: insipidity, insipidness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unappetizingness, unappetisingness

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English bland Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English blandness From bland + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: insipidesa — lack of taste or flavor
  • Catalan: insipiditat — lack of taste or flavor
  • Finnish: mauttomuus — lack of taste or flavor
  • French: insipidité — lack of taste or flavor
  • Galician: insipidez — lack of taste or flavor
  • Italian: insipidezza — lack of taste or flavor
  • Portuguese: insipidez — lack of taste or flavor
  • Spanish: insipidez — lack of taste or flavor
  • Spanish: sinsabor — lack of taste or flavor
  • Ottoman Turkish: طاتسزلق (tatsızlık) — lack of taste or flavor
  • Ottoman Turkish: لذتسزلك (lezzetsizlik) — lack of taste or flavor
  • Ottoman Turkish: یاوانلق (yavanlık) — lack of taste or flavor
  • Finnish: latteus — lack of interest or appeal
  • French: insipidité — lack of interest or appeal
  • Galician: insipidez — lack of interest or appeal
  • Italian: insipidezza — lack of interest or appeal
  • Polish: nijakość — lack of interest or appeal
  • Polish: bezbarwność — lack of interest or appeal
  • Polish: bezpłciowość — lack of interest or appeal
  • Portuguese: insipidez — lack of interest or appeal
  • Spanish: insipidez — lack of interest or appeal