Which word means 'Dull' in the sense of unoriginal and boring?

• A. Banal
• B. Dull
• C. Insipid
• D. Mundane

Answer: (A)

When describing something as dull because it’s unoriginal and boring, you want a word that captures the sense of overfamiliarity and lack of freshness. Banal fits this perfectly. It signals that ideas, remarks, or imagery are so commonplace they’ve become tedious or cliché, which is exactly what unoriginal and boring implies.

Dull is a broad, everyday term for not exciting, but it doesn’t specifically convey that something is unoriginal or overused. Insipid emphasizes a lack of flavor or liveliness, not necessarily the sense that it’s been seen or heard many times. Mundane means ordinary or everyday, which can be neutral or slightly negative, but it doesn’t inherently carry the idea of cliché or lack of novelty.

So, banal is the best choice because it directly expresses that something has lost interest due to rote, familiar content.