식품이나 음료가 신선하지 않고 딱딱하거나 김이 빠진 상태
(of food) no longer fresh, often becoming hard, dry, or tasteless.
예문:
"The leftover pizza crust had become stale and chewy by morning."
"Don't throw away stale bread; you can use it to make croutons."
"The open bottle of soda went stale after sitting on the counter all night."
공기나 냄새가 맑지 않고 퀴퀴하거나 답답한 상태
(of air or smells) no longer fresh or clean; smelling musty or stuffy.
예문:
"The air in the abandoned basement felt stale and heavy with dust."
"I opened the windows to let out the stale smell of old cigarette smoke."
생각이나 표현 등이 새로움이 없고 진부하거나 지루한 상태
no longer new, interesting, or exciting; unoriginal and hackneyed.
예문:
"The comedian's jokes felt stale after he performed the same set for three years."
"Their relationship had grown stale, lacking the spark they once shared."
"The plot of the movie was filled with stale clichés that we've seen a dozen times."
과로나 반복된 일로 인해 활력이나 창의성이 떨어진 상태
(of a person) losing the ability to perform well or creatively due to boredom or overwork.
예문:
"After ten years in the same role, the manager began to feel stale and uninspired."
"The athlete went stale from overtraining and needed a long break to recover."
수표나 법적 청구권 등이 기간 경과로 인해 효력을 잃은 상태
(of a check or legal claim) no longer valid or effective because a time limit has passed.
예문:
"The bank refused to honor the stale check because it was dated over six months ago."
"The court dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that the evidence presented was stale."
말과 같은 가축이 소변을 보다
(especially of a horse) to discharge urine.
예문:
"The stallion paused in the middle of the field to stale before continuing its run."
"The groom waited for the horse to finish staling before leading it back to the stable."
음식이나 아이디어를 낡게 하거나 스스로 진부해지다
to make or become stale, especially in reference to food or ideas.
예문:
"Leaving the bag open will stale the chips very quickly."
"The bread began staling the moment it was taken out of the oven."
사냥감을 유인하기 위해 사용하는 가짜 새나 미끼
a bird or other animal used as a decoy to lure others into a trap.
예문:
"The hunter placed a wooden stale in the pond to attract the wild ducks."
"Historically, a live bird was often used as a stale to catch birds of prey."
다른 사람들의 비웃음이나 놀림의 대상이 되는 사람
a person who is the object of mockery or ridicule; a laughingstock.
예문:
"He feared that his failure would make him a stale among his peers."
"She was tired of being the stale of the office's cruel jokes."