prosaic
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
From French prosaïque < Mediaeval Latin prosaicus (“‘in prose’”) < Latin prosa (“‘prose’”) < prorsus (“‘straightforward, in prose’”) < Old Latin provorsus (“‘straight ahead’”) < pro- (“‘forward’”) + vorsus (“‘turned’”) < vertō (“‘to turn’”) < Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“‘to turn, to bend’”).
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Adjective
prosaic (comparative more prosaic, superlative most prosaic)
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Positive |
Comparative |
Superlative |
- Pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose.
- The tenor of Eliot's prosaic work differs greatly from that of his poetry.
- (of writing or speaking) Straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry.
- I was simply making the prosaic point that we are running late.
- (usually of writing or speaking but also figurative) Overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum.
- His account of the incident was so prosaic that I nodded off while reading it.
- She lived a prosaic life.
[edit] Synonyms
- See also Wikisaurus:boring
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Translations
pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose
straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry
overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum
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