# stale

> English word · Adjective · IPA /steɪl/ · frequency rank #16,589

## Definitions
1. Clear, free of dregs and lees; old and strong.
2. No longer fresh, in reference to food, urine, straw, wounds, etc.
3. No longer fresh, new, or interesting, in reference to ideas and immaterial things; clichéd, hackneyed, dated.
4. No longer nubile or suitable for marriage, in reference to people; past one's prime.
5. Not new or recent; having been in place or in effect for some time.
6. Fallow, in reference to land.
7. Unreasonably long in coming, in reference to claims and actions.
8. Worn out, particularly due to age or over-exertion, in reference to athletes and animals in competition.
9. Out of date, unpaid for an unreasonable amount of time, particularly in reference to checks.
10. Of data: out of date; not synchronized with the newest copy.

## Etymology
From Middle English stale, from Old French estal (“fixed position, place”), but probably originally from Proto-Germanic *stāną (“to stand”): compare West Flemish stel in the same sense for ‘beer’ and ‘urine’.

## Easily confused with
- **stay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-stay)
- **star** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-star)
- **stan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-stan)
- **stat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-stat)
- **still** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-still)
- **state** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-state)
- **start** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-start)
- **stand** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-stand)
- **style** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-style)
- **store** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-store)
- **stars** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-stars)
- **stone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-stone)
- **Steve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-steve)
- **steal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-steal)
- **stats** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-stats)
- **stays** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-stays)
- **stole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-stole)
- **stamp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-stamp)
- **stark** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-stark)
- **stare** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stale-vs-stare)

## Common misspellings (6)
`satle`, `sstale`, `stalle`, `stlae`, `sttale`, `tsale`

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