bland

See also blând

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /blænd/, X-SAMPA: /bl{nd/
• Rhymes: -ænd

Etymology 1

From Middle English blanden, blonden, from Old English blandan (“to blend, mix, mingle; trouble, disturb, corrupt”), from Proto-Germanic *blandaną (“to mix, blend”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhlendh- (“to grow turbid, dim, see badly, be blind”). Cognate with Danish and Norwegian blande, Swedish blanda (“to mix, mingle, shuffle, blend”), Icelandic blanda (“to mix”). See also blend.

Verb

bland (third-person singular simple present blands, present participle blanding, simple past and past participle blanded)

1. (transitive, UK dialectal) To mix; blend; mingle.
2. (transitive, UK dialectal) To connect; associate.

Etymology 2

From Middle English bland, from Old English bland, blond (“blending, mixture, confusion”), from Proto-Germanic *blandą (“a mixing, mixture”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhlendh- (“to grow turbid, dim, see badly, be blind”). Cognate with Icelandic blanda (“a mixture of liquids, especially of hot whey and water”).

Alternative forms

• blaind, blaund (Scotland)

Noun

bland (plural blands)

1. (UK dialectal) Mixture; union.
2. An agreeable summer beverage prepared from the whey of churned milk, common among the inhabitants of the Shetland Islands.

Derived terms

• in bland

Etymology 3

Ultimately from Latin blandus (“pleasant, flattering”).

Adjective

bland (comparative blander, superlative blandest)

1. (now rare) Mild; soft, gentle, balmy; smooth in manner; suave.
   • 1818, John Keats, "Sonnet":

     Where didst thou find, young Bard, thy sounding lyre? / Where the bland accent, and the tender tone?

2. Having a soothing effect; not irritating or stimulating.

   a bland oil

   a bland diet

3. Lacking in taste or vigor.

   the coffee was bland

   the judge found the defense's case to be bland

Translations

Mild; dull; soft; gentle; smooth in manner; suave

• Bulgarian: мек (bg) (mek), нежен (bg) (nežen), ласкав (bg) (laskav)
• Dutch: mild (nl), zacht (nl)
• Finnish: väritön (fi), mitäänsanomaton (fi), vaisu (fi)
• French: doux (fr) m, douce (fr) f
• German: mild (de), sanft (de)

• Italian: blando (it) m
• Polish: delikatny (pl), łagodny (pl) m
• Russian: мягкий (ru) (mjáxkij), нежный (ru) (néžnyj), ласковый (ru) (láskovyj)
• Spanish: tenue (es), desabrido (es), simple (es), suave (es), debil (es)
• Swedish: mild (sv), vän (sv)

Having a soothing effect; not irritating or stimulating

• Bulgarian: приятен (bg) (prijaten), успокояващ (bg) (uspokojavašt)
• Danish: sød (da) c
• Dutch: mild (nl), zacht (nl)
• Finnish: mitäänsanomaton (fi)
• French: doux (fr) m, douce (fr) f
• German: mild (de), sanft (de)

• Interlingua: blande (ia)
• Italian: blando (it) m
• Polish: uspakajający (pl) m
• Russian: приятный (ru) (prijátnyj), успокаивающий (ru) (uspokáivajuščij)
• Spanish: suave (es)
• Swedish: mild (sv)

Lacking in taste or vigor

• Czech: mdlý (cs)
• Dutch: smaakloos
• Finnish: mitäänsanomaton (fi), mieto (fi), mauton (fi)
• French: fade (fr) m and f
• German: fad (de), geschmacklos (de)
• Italian: insipido (it), fiacco (it)

• Polish: bezbarwny (pl) m, mdły (pl) m, nijaki (pl) m, bez smaku (pl)
• Russian: безвкусный (ru) (bezvkúsnyj), неинтересный (ru) (neinterésnyj)
• Spanish: soso (es)
• Swedish: fadd (sv), smaklös (sv), svag (sv), mild (sv)

References

• bland in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

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Danish

Verb

bland

1. imperative of blande

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Icelandic

Pronunciation

• IPA: /plant/

  Rhymes: -ant

Noun

bland n

1. mix

Declension

declension of bland

n-s	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	bland	blandið
accusative	bland	blandið
dative	blandi	blandinu
genitive	blands	blandsins

Derived terms

• bland í poka

Related terms

• blanda

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Swedish

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

Preposition

bland

1. among