Word of the week: Blah

Blah

North American English. Informal noun.
Definition: 1)  not interesting. 2) feeling unwell or unhappy.
Examples: The end of the movie was pretty blah. I don't know what's wrong, I just feel a bit blah.

UK English. Informal noun.
Definition: Silly or meaningless talk.
Example: She said it wasn't her fault, she had not meant to do it, blah, blah, blah.

Blah means different things depending on where you are in the world.

In the USA, 'blah' expresses that something is not interesting. It can also mean a mildly depressed mood, such as how you might feel if it rains all weekend when you had planned a barbecue.

In the UK, 'blah' is used to highlight that someone is talking nonsense. The speaker might feel that the person is saying something repetitive or dull. Someone might keep talking after they lose an argument, or might not know when to stop speaking.  In this instance you could say 'Blah, Blah, Blah'.

Kaplan students, please don't say this to your teachers! Or if you do, don't tell them where you heard it. :)

We make sure students don't feel blah when they sign up to study English online with a real live Kaplan teacher. We guarantee no blah, blah, blah at our English schools in more than 40 locations worldwide, just the highest possible standards of English language teaching.

Has something made you feel a bit blah lately? Why don't you tell us below, or just say hi?