# blah

> English word · Noun · IPA /blɑː/ · frequency rank #8,515

## Definitions
1. Nonsense; drivel; idle, meaningless talk.
2. A general or ambiguous feeling of discomfort, dissatisfaction, uneasiness, boredom, mild depression, etc.
3. A fool, an idiot.

## Etymology
* Sense “Idle, meaningless talk” (1940), probably imitative or echoic in origin. Compare Ancient Greek βαρ-βαρ (bar-bar, “unintelligible sounds”)
* Adjective sense “bland, dull” (1919), perhaps influenced by French blasé (“bored, indifferent”).
* The blahs (“boredom, mild depression”) first attested 1969; probably a blend of the blues + blah (adjective).
* Also may be connected with bleat

## Easily confused with
- **bra** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-bra)
- **BLM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-blm)
- **boa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-boa)
- **BSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-bsa)
- **BPA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-bpa)
- **BLS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-bls)
- **BLE** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-ble)
- **bly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-bly)
- **both** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-both)
- **blue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-blue)
- **blog** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-blog)
- **boat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-boat)
- **blow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-blow)
- **bush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-bush)
- **blew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-blew)
- **brad** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-brad)
- **bloc** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-bloc)
- **blur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-blur)
- **bruh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-bruh)
- **brag** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blah-vs-brag)

## Common misspellings (6)
`balh`, `bblah`, `blahh`, `blha`, `bllah`, `lbah`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/blah