MUNDANE Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'mundane' distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words earthly and worldly are common synonyms of mundane . While all three words mean "belonging to or characteristic of the earth," mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical. // a mundane discussion of finances

Q: In what contexts can 'earthly' take the place of 'mundane'?

While in some cases nearly identical to mundane , earthly often implies a contrast with what is heavenly or spiritual. // abandoned earthly concerns and entered a convent

Q: How are the words 'worldly' and 'mundane' related?

Worldly and mundane both imply a relation to the immediate concerns and activities of human beings, worldly suggesting tangible personal gain or gratification. // worldly goods

mundane

adjective

ˌmən-ˈdān

Definition of mundane

as in everyday

having to do with the practical details of regular life they didn't want to be bothered with mundane concerns like doing the dishes while on vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in temporal

having to do with life on earth especially as opposed to that in heaven a period for reflection and penitence, when spiritual concerns should take precedence over those that are mundane

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word mundane distinct from other similar adjectives?

The words earthly and worldly are common synonyms of mundane. While all three words mean "belonging to or characteristic of the earth," mundane suggests reference to the immediate and practical.

a mundane discussion of finances

In what contexts can earthly take the place of mundane?

While in some cases nearly identical to mundane, earthly often implies a contrast with what is heavenly or spiritual.

abandoned earthly concerns and entered a convent

How are the words worldly and mundane related?

Worldly and mundane both imply a relation to the immediate concerns and activities of human beings, worldly suggesting tangible personal gain or gratification.

worldly goods

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of mundane Large swaths of the film are composed of close-ups of people’s faces or hands, giving seemingly mundane exchanges and gestures — say, a moment when Evans, unimpressed with Holmes’s egg-whisking technique, confiscates the bowl — greater weight. — Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026 But even the mundane conversations were remarkable in their unremarkableness. — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026 At best, the times these tools worked and actually saved me time were rather mundane. — Adam Clark Estes, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026 In the mid-1970s, Linnda Caporael was a college student facing a seemingly mundane decision. — Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mundane

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mundane

Adjective

Lula can point to low unemployment and easing inflation, but those indicators have not changed perceptions for households struggling with everyday prices.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
By heating food using electromagnetic energy, microwave ovens made reheating and quick meal preparation easier, changing everyday cooking habits across much of the world.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of everyday

Adjective

Blending 1970s sci-fi aesthetics with a timeless world where cell phones are the only markers of temporal difference, the film blurs the boundaries between memory, history and the supernatural.

— Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026
The team tested whether the hardware could distinguish temporal patterns using four consecutive input signals that could each be switched on or off.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of temporal

Adjective

Hence, customers with Rogers can expect the carrier to continue offering Starlink Mobile as an additional service alongside its terrestrial cell service.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026
One company makes electric cars that are inherently terrestrial, ferrying millions of drivers on roads around the world.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of terrestrial

Adjective

Her physical absence changes nothing about the circumstances of our friendship.

— Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
This is just a normal part of growing older, according to conventional wisdom, as if aging were a one-way street of physical decline.

— Leana S. Wen, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of physical

Adjective

Vegetable Oils Vegetable and seed oils are some of the richest non-animal dietary sources of CoQ10.

— Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 16 July 2026
Computer models and other non-animal testing methods still aren’t the best available science, critics contend.

— Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026

Definition of animal

Adjective

Outside stands a statue of an infirm John Paul II leaning on his papal staff — a reminder of the pontiffs who have been treated here, and of their earthly frailty.

— Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
The community advocated a spiritual life and represented their idea of an earthly paradise.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of earthly

Adjective

This one opens out to accommodate an improbable amount of worldly possessions— including a large laptop—without looking remotely utilitarian.

— Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026
The lounge is a real scene, especially during afternoon tea, when a perfectly coiffed crowd has hushed discussions about worldly matters.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of worldly

Adjective

The office’s misdemeanor section is a development ground and steppingstone for young prosecutors who take mostly DWIs and assault causing bodily injury to a family member cases to trial.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
MacIntosh also points out that the fecal avoidance experiment bears little connection to how the initial outbreak spread, through bodily fluids transmitted through scratches or bites.

— Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of bodily

Browse Nearby Words

munching

mundane

mundaneness

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Style

“Mundane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mundane. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of mundane

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