nondescript
/nɑndəˈskɹɪpt/adjective, noun
nondescript is spelled N-O-N-D-E-S-C-R-I-P-T: 11 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, nondescript means “Without distinguishing qualities or characteristics” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in nondescript?
| Letters | 11: N-O-N-D-E-S-C-R-I-P-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,767th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is nondescript?
Nondescript appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce nondescript?
- UK /ˈnɒndɪskɹɪpt/
- US /nɑndəˈskɹɪpt/
Nondescript has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-nondescript.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with nondescript?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as nondescript from its last stressed vowel (/ɪpt/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of nondescript
- more nondescript comparative
- most nondescript superlative
- non-descript
- nondescripts plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does nondescript mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
archaicNot described (in the academic literature).
- 2
Without distinguishing qualities or characteristics.
He drove a nondescript silver sedan.
noun
- 1
A species or other type of creature that has not been previously described or identified.
- 2
An undistinguished, unexceptional person or thing.
- 3
UKAn unmarked police car.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Nondescript in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense without distinguishing qualities:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | banal, quelconque |
| Spanish | no descripto, poco descrito, cualquiera, banal, anodino, insulso |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does nondescript come from?
From non- + descript (from Latin dēscrīptus, past participle of dēscrībō).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).