adj Uncommon

bland

Bland (adj) means lacking strong flavour; mild or tasteless. Example: “The soup was bland, so I added some pepper and salt.”

adj

Lacking strong flavour; mild or tasteless.

"The soup was bland, so I added some pepper and salt."

"Hospital food has a reputation for being bland."

Lacking excitement, character, or interest.

"His speech was polite but bland, with nothing memorable in it."

"The new office design looks very bland and corporate."

How to use bland

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMild and unexciting — with little taste, colour, or personality.

Common pairings

bland food bland diet bland personality

blander comparative, blanded past tense, blands plural, blands singular, blandest superlative

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The soup was _____, so I added some pepper and salt.

From Latin blandus, meaning "pleasant" or "flattering" — the meaning later shifted toward "mild" and then "dull."

Origin: Latin

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What does “bland” mean?

The word “bland” means lacking strong flavour; mild or tasteless. In plain terms, mild and unexciting — with little taste, colour, or personality.

How do you pronounce “bland”?

“Bland” is pronounced bland (/blænd/ in IPA).

How do you use “bland” in a sentence?

Here is “bland” used in a sentence: “The soup was bland, so I added some pepper and salt.”

What part of speech is “bland”?

“Bland” is an adjective.

Where does the word “bland” come from?

The word “bland” comes from Latin. From Latin blandus, meaning "pleasant" or "flattering" — the meaning later shifted toward "mild" and then "dull.".

Is “bland” a common word?

“Bland” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “bland” have?

“Bland” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: lacking strong flavour; mild or tasteless.