Dictionary

prosaic en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /pɹəʊˈzeɪ.ɪk/ (UK)
• /pɹoʊˈzeɪ.ɪk/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle French prosaïque, from Medieval Latin prosaicus (“in prose”), from Latin prosa (“prose”), from prorsus (“straightforward, in prose”), from Old Latin provorsus (“straight ahead”), from pro- (“forward”) + vorsus (“turned”), from vertō (“to turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to turn, to bend”).

Meanings

1. Pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose.
   • The tenor of Eliot's prosaic work differs greatly from that of his poetry.
2. (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.
3. (of writing or speaking but also figurative, qualifier:main usage, usually) Overly plain, simple or commonplace, to the point of being boring.
   • She lived a prosaic life.
   • Ultimately, though, the more prosaic goals carried the greater significance in this contest. Madrid have managed only one clean sheet on their way to winning this competition. 2017 June 3, Daniel Taylor, “Real Madrid win Champions League as Cristiano Ronaldo double defeats Juve”, in The Guardian (London):
   • Their steepness and abruptness were even greater than I had imagined from hearsay, and suggested nothing in common with the prosaic objective world we know. 1931, H. P. Lovecraft, chapter 6, in The Whisperer in Darkness:
   • His account of the incident was so prosaic that I nodded off while reading it.
   • Our people are the most prosaic in the world, but the most faithful; and with curious reverence we keep up and transmit, from generation to generation, the superstition of what we call the education of a gentleman. 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 3, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

Forms

Antonyms

poetic · turgid · bombastic · flowery

Deriveds

prosaicism · unprosaic

Relateds

prose · prosaically · prosaicness

Synonyms

pedantic · drab · stuffy · straightforward · corny · pedestrian · flat · blah · humdrum · bland · cold · lame · commonplace · no fun at parties · prosy · mindless · mundane · static · snoozeworthy · plain · wan · dull · humdrum · banal · vapid · wooden · dull as dishwater · dull · drowsy · lackluster · prosaic · ho-hum · lifeless · stodgy · heavy going · tedious · boring · insipid · longsome · dreich · basic · beat · languid · plodding · monotonous · weaksauce · unimaginative · soporific · uncool · colourless · vanilla · uninteresting

Translations (66)

cs všední (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · de prosaisch (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · da prosaisk (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · ka პროზაული (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · el τετριμμένος (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · cmn 就事論事的 /就事论事的 (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · hu prózai (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · fi arkipäiväinen (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · grc πεζός (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · fi proosallinen (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · cmn 平淡的 (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · kk прозалық (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · de prosaisch (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · bg написан в проза (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · fa منثور (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · it terra terra (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · ka პროზაული (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · uk прозаї́чний (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · cmn 乏味的 (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · uk прозаї́чний (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · el πεζός (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · it prosastico (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · ru прозаический (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · fi ikävä (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · hy արձակ (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · es prosaico (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · ja 退屈な (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · fi proosallinen (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · ca prosaic (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · el πεζός (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · bg прозаичен (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · yi פּראָזאַיִש (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · cs střízlivý (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · yi פּראָזאַיִש (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · hu prózai (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · pl prozaiczny (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · bg безинтересен (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · fa بیروح (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · fi proosa- (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · cs prozaický (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · da prosaisk (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · pt prosaico (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · nl prozaïsch (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · kk бірсарынды (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · cs jednotvárný (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · el πεζός (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · fi proosallinen (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · fi tylsä (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · sv prosaisk (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · pl prozaiczny (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · pl prozaiczny (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · yi פּראָזאַיִש (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · it prosaico (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · uk прозаї́чний (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · ja 散文的な (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · es prosaico (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · cmn 散文式的 (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · da prosaisk (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · cmn 不帶感情的 /不带感情的 (straightforward; matter-of-fact; lacking the feeling or elegance of poetry) · bg прозаичен (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · ja 単調な (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · sv prosaisk (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose) · el κοινότοπος (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · nl prozaïsch (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · fi arkipäiväinen (overly plain or simple, to the point of being boring; humdrum) · cs prozaický (pertaining to or having the characteristics of prose)