| English Dictionary |
BLAND
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
| IPA (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does bland mean?
• BLAND (adjective)
The adjective BLAND has 3 senses:
1. lacking taste or flavor or tang
2. lacking stimulating characteristics; uninteresting
3. smoothly agreeable and courteous with a degree of sophistication
Familiarity information: BLAND used as an adjective is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
| Declension: comparative and superlative |
Superlative: blandest
Sense 1
Meaning:
Lacking taste or flavor or tang
Synonyms:
bland; flat; flavorless; flavourless; insipid; savorless; savourless; vapid
Context example:
vapid tea
Similar:
tasteless (lacking flavor)
Derivation:
blandness (lacking any distinctive or interesting taste property)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Lacking stimulating characteristics; uninteresting
Synonyms:
bland; flat
Context example:
a flat joke
Similar:
unexciting; unstimulating (not stimulating)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Smoothly agreeable and courteous with a degree of sophistication
Synonyms:
Context example:
the manager pacified the customer with a smooth apology for the error
Similar:
diplomatic; diplomatical (using or marked by tact in dealing with sensitive matters or people)
Derivation:
blandness (the trait of exhibiting no personal embarrassment or concern)
blandness (the quality of being bland and gracious or ingratiating in manner)
Context examples
A non-neoplastic proliferation of morphologically bland C-cells with a diffuse growth pattern in the thyroid gland.
(Diffuse C-Cell Hyperplasia, NCI Thesaurus)
It is characterized by bland clear cells in addition to hyaline cartilage.
(Clear Cell Chondrosarcoma, NCI Thesaurus)
A clonal proliferation of bland spindle cells, usually well circumscribed and with some collagenous stroma.
(Fibroma of the Mouse Skin, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)
It is characterized by the presence of bland fibroblastic spindle cells, collagenous stroma formation, primitive mesenchymal round cells, and mature fat cells.
(Fibrous Hamartoma of Infancy, NCI Thesaurus)
A bland spindle cell neoplasm composed of several cell types including cells derived from the peripheral nerve sheath and fibroblasts without significant invasion or metastasis.
(Neurofibroma of the Mouse Skin, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)
It is a low grade tumor characterized by the presence of bland spindle-shaped fibroblasts, poorly-formed collagen rosettes, and myxoid and fibrocytic stroma formation.
(Low Grade Fibromyxoid Sarcoma with Giant Collagen Rosettes, NCI Thesaurus)
Bland character of nuclei is a main feature of human adenomas.
(Adenoma of the Mouse Pulmonary System, NCI Thesaurus/MMHCC)
It is characterized by the presence of bland spindle cells and collagenous stroma formation.
(Cardiac Fibroma, NCI Thesaurus)
The man who entered was a sturdy, middle-sized fellow, some thirty years of age, clean-shaven, and sallow-skinned, with a bland, insinuating manner, and a pair of wonderfully sharp and penetrating grey eyes.
(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
A low grade malignant biphasic tumor characterized by a variety of morphologic patterns, most commonly epithelial cells surrounded by a relatively bland spindle-cell osteofibrous component.
(Adamantinoma, NCI Thesaurus)
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