Etymologically
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blah

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 17 October 2026 at 16:12. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /bla/; /blɑː/ (UK)[1]

Etymology

It is imitative, of meaningless chatter,[2][3][4] probably from blah-blah, a derisive interjection.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Idle, meaningless or pretentious talk: 1918 in the OED and Etymonline, originally American;[6][2][3] Merriam-Webster dates it to 1911.[5]

Semantic evolution

The adjective, bland or dull, is from 1919 in Etymonline, perhaps influenced by French blasé;[2] the OED has it as mad from 1924 and dull from 1937.[6] The verb, to talk blah, is from 1924.[6] The blahs, a feeling of depression or dissatisfaction, is attested by 1966.[2]

Timeline

  • 1911 – blah (Merriam-Webster).[5]
  • 1918 – meaningless talk.[6][2]
  • 1919 – dull (adjective).[2]
  • 1966 – the blahs.[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. (informal) Worthless or silly talk; nonsense, drivel.
  2. The blahs: a general feeling of dullness, discomfort or depression.

Adjective

  1. Dull and uninteresting; insipid.
  2. Low in spirits or health.
  • blather
  • blab

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
  5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press