nondescript
- adjective
- /ˌnɒndɪˈskrɪpt/
- The restaurant is located in a nondescript building that blends in with the other shops on the street.
- small and nondescript
No, no, it's like in a little just nondescript room.
- No, no, it's like in a little just nondescript room.
- This thing is amazing and fortunately arrives in very nondescript packaging.
- Under open cases behind the runaway shelter were the other houses, intensely nondescript in the pale grey sky.
- It was a pretty nondescript joint, a rather drab room in a rather drab old hotel.
- It just was nondescript shape, which is interesting.
- This, this nondescript, you know, you know, target lamp, you know, it's a red lamp.
- And the FBI goes, Victor, there's so many murders past that nondescript.
- It is such a generic nondescript there.
Examples
-
A person dressed in nondescript clothing sat in one of the chairs.
Fiction book (2001) -
It was a pretty nondescript joint, a rather drab room in a rather drab old hotel.
-
We could have hundreds of sites, maybe even thousands, all under some nondescript name?
-
Come on, this guy is totally nondescript.
-
We're going to a small nondescript house somewhere in the countryside, correct?
Fiction book (2001) -
The radio was playing one of those nondescript songs, good music for country dancing, not too memorable beyond that.
Fiction book (1993) -
But the most powerful place in all of D.C. was a nondescript conference room at a relatively new think tank called Americans for Tax Reform.
-
The group stopped at a nondescript eatery for one last decent meal before the long ride to Arabel.
Fiction book (1992) -
The room was large, nondescript, filled with maybe thirty or forty stainless-steel tables and chairs.
Fiction book (1997) -
Edward Page's office was located in a nondescript low-rise office building opposite the Arlington County Circuit Court building.
Fiction book (1997)
Synonyms
Not interesting or lively
A person or place with no features that make it stand out
A thing that has no strong character and few interesting features
Dull and showing little energy
Not having strong or noticeable qualities
Not bright or colorful and not lively
Not showing new ideas or creative thinking
Not exciting and likely to make people bored
Being ordinary and not interesting
Without energy or interest and making people feel bored
Not having new or interesting ideas
Something that is boring because it has no variety
Not very good or likely to attract attention
Ordinary and dull without imagination or excitement
A place or thing that has no clear details
Not interesting or exciting
Plain in appearance with no decoration
A person or thing that has no special quality
Not interesting or exciting
Ordinary and not very impressive
Not interesting or exciting
Not very impressive or special
Having nothing special or interesting
Not attracting attention because it looks plain or simple
Looks plain and not attractive
With a smooth, even surface and no rough or visible detail
Plain and simple in appearance without extra decoration
Simple and modest in style and not trying to attract attention
Simple in style and not trying to attract attention
Having a plain look that is not fashionable
Not having features that make it stand out
Lacking special features that make it stand out
Without features that make it different from others
Not having a strong style or special features and seeming bland
Not bright in color and not very interesting
Plain material like fabric or wallpaper without a pattern
Looks plain and not attractive or exciting
Has a plain, simple style and is not expensive
Plain and not decorated, like a simple room or building
Antonyms
How Distinctive
Surface Forms
Morphology
nondescript = descript (semi-transparent) = non + descript
The meaning 'not describable' follows from non- + descript, but 'descript' is rare in isolation so learners may not fully recognise the base.
Etymology
The word nondescript comes from non- meaning 'not' and descript from describe meaning 'to say what something is like'. So a nondescript thing is literally 'not easy to describe', which is why it seems dull or does not stand out.