stale

/steɪl/ (bre, ipa) · [stˈel] /steɪl/ (ame, ipa) · [stˈel] /ˈstāl/ (ame, mw)

stale — adjective

  • stalepositive
  • stalercomparative
  • stalestsuperlative

1. describes food, air, or other perishable goods that have lost their original fre

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describes food, air, or other perishable goods that have lost their original freshness or good quality, usually because they were left unused for a period of time.

例句

The bread had gone stale after sitting on the counter for three days.

go stale — common collocation for food losing freshness

The crackers had gone stale and lost their crunch, so Élise threw them out.

同義詞
  • old

    more general; stale specifically implies loss of freshness that makes something unpleasant

  • musty

    stronger smell of dampness or mould; not used for food texture

  • dry

    overlaps with stale for bread and cake, but dry does not carry the implication of being kept too long

  • stuffy

    used for air in enclosed spaces; more about lack of circulation than age

反義詞
  • fresh

    the direct opposite in all uses of stale

  • crisp

    used for foods like crackers, biscuits, and vegetables

用法筆記

Commonly used with verbs go, become, and grow: go stale is the most frequent pairing.

常見錯誤

❌The milk has gone stale.
✅The milk has gone sour.
💡stale is for dry or baked goods (bread, crackers, cake) and air; sour is for dairy that has spoiled.
❌This fruit is stale.
✅This fruit is old / overripe.
💡stale strongly implies a loss of freshness in dry items, not fruit or meat.

2. describes something such as a joke, news, idea, or relationship that no longer i

2.形容詞B2
釋義

describes something such as a joke, news, idea, or relationship that no longer interests or excites because it has been repeated too often and feels too familiar.

例句

Minho's presentation was full of stale jokes that the audience had heard many times before.

stale + jokes / news / ideas — common collocations for overused content

The celebrity wedding story went stale as the earthquake news took over the front page.

同義詞
  • trite

    stronger negative connotation of being cheap or clichéd; less common in everyday speech

  • clichéd

    specifically about phrases, ideas, or plot devices that have been used so often they feel meaningless

  • hackneyed

    formal; describes writing or language that is unoriginal through overuse

  • stereotyped

    suggests fixed, oversimplified patterns rather than mere overuse

反義詞
  • fresh

    applies to both literal and figurative senses of stale

  • original

    highlights creativity rather than freshness

  • novel

    suggests something new and unusual

用法筆記

Governs a gradual process: grow stale and become stale are more natural than a sudden be stale. Distinguish from sense 1 (literal freshness) — sense 2 applies only to abstract things.

常見錯誤

❌The movie was stale because it was too long.
✅The movie was boring because it was too long.
💡stale is used when something was once fresh/interesting but is now tired from overexposure or repetition, not simply because it was unenjoyable.

3. describes a person who loses energy, ideas, and motivation after doing the same

3.形容詞C1
釋義

describes a person who loses energy, ideas, and motivation after doing the same work or activity for too long.

例句

After months of deadlines, Soraya felt stale and could not think of new ideas.

feel stale — describing a person's mental state from overwork

Several players had gone stale by August and asked the coach for rest.

go stale — used for athletes losing performance edge

同義詞
  • burned out

    more common in casual speech; emphasizes exhaustion rather than loss of creativity

  • stuck in a rut

    idiom; focuses on the feeling of being trapped in repetition

  • uninspired

    milder; can be temporary or situational

  • jaded

    implies cynicism or disappointment, not just tiredness from overwork

反義詞
  • energised

    highlights restored motivation and vigour

  • refreshed

    common opposite after rest or change

  • inspired

    captures the creative spark that stale people have lost

用法筆記

Used only for people or groups, especially workers, athletes, or performers. Feel stale describes the state itself, while go stale suggests a gradual drop in energy or ideas.

常見錯誤

❌I feel stale because I didn't sleep well.
✅I feel tired because I didn't sleep well.
💡stale implies a longer-term loss of motivation from repetition or overwork, not simple lack of sleep.
❌The machine is stale.
✅The machine is old / worn out.
💡stale for people only, not objects or machines.