Blah

Pronunciation

• IPA: /blɑː/
• Rhymes: -ɑː

Origin

• Sense “Idle, meaningless talk” (1940), probably imitative or echoic in origin. Perhaps, but cf Greek "barbarbar” ‘unintelligible sounds’ (Grillo 1989:174.
• Adjective sense “bland, dull” (1919), perhaps influenced by French blasé ("bored, indifferent").
• The blahs (“boredom, mild depression”) first attested 1969; extension of adjective sense and influenced by term the blues.
• Also may be connected with bleat

GRILLO, R. D. 1989. Dominant Languages: Language and hierarchy in Britain and France. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Full definition of blah

Noun

1. (uncountable, informal) Nonsense; drivel; idle, meaningless talk.
2. (informal) (in plural, the blahs) A general or ambiguous feeling of discomfort, dissatisfaction, uneasiness, boredom, mild depression, etc.

Synonyms

• (nonsense, drivel) bosh, bombast, bunkum, claptrap, eyewash, fustian, rant, hooey, humbug, rubbish, twaddle
• (feeling of boredom, mild depression) malaise

Adjective

1. (informal) Dull; uninteresting; insipid.Well, the new restaurant seems nice, but their menu is a little blah.
2. (informal) Low in spirit or health; down.I decided to go exercise rather than sit around all day feeling blah.

Interjection

1. An expression of mild frustration.Blah! Why can't I get this computer to work!
2. (When spoken repeatedly, often three times in succession: blah blah blah!) Imitative of idle, meaningless talk; used sometimes in a slightly derogatory manner to mock or downplay another's words, or to show disinterest in a diatribe, rant, instructions, unsolicited advice, parenting, etc. Also used when recalling and retelling another's words, as a substitute for the portions of the speech deemed irrelevant.Yea, yea, blah blah blah, Mom, you said this all yesterday.And then he was like, "Oh, my brother's an Internet millionaire, blah blah blah." Like I care!
3. Representing the sound of vomiting. See bleah, bleh.

Synonyms

• (boring content) blah blah blah, yada yada yada