Stale Meaning
/steɪl/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjClear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong.
adjNo longer fresh, in reference to food, urine, straw, wounds, etc.
Sentence Examples
The beer is stale.
This popcorn tastes stale. I wonder when it was popped.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The crackers became ____ after being left open in the air for days.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The bread had become ____ and hard because the bag had been left open on the kitchen counter all night.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English stale, from Old French estal (“fixed position, place”), but probably originally from Proto-Germanic *stāną (“to stand”): compare West Flemish stel in the same sense for ‘beer’ and ‘urine’.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Stale as breed or drinke is, rassis. Stale as meate is that begynneth to savoure, viel."
— 1530, John Palsgrave, L'éclaircissement de la langue française, 325 2:
"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.”"
— 2012, Stephen Woodworth, In Golden Blood: Number 3 in series:
"Better is...be it new or stale, A harmelesse lie, than a harmefull true tale."
— 1562, Proverbs & Epigrams, J. Heywood, published 1867, section 95:
"How wary, stale, flat, and vnprofitable Seeme to me all the vses of this world?"
— c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], line 133:
"A two-days-old newspaper. You resent the stale thing as an affront."
— 1822 March, Charles Lamb, London Magazine, 284 1:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The crackers became ____ after being left open in the air for days.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The bread had become ____ and hard because the bag had been left open on the kitchen counter all night.