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 The wishes might’ve seemed mundane, but several nonprofit leaders have said Breakaway checks helped their organizations stay open and even grow. — Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 2026 Here in this alt-world Albuquerque, 2D creatures coexist with mundane strip malls. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Even in the dusty, mundane space of the cabinet, the stock-still object pulsated with wild energy. — Wilbert L. Cooper, Longreads, 25 Aug. 2026 The movie is wondrously attuned to the mundane, to the absurd humor and gentle devastation that lives in the everyday — and in so much of his work. — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mundane

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mundane

Adjective

What does fitness and physique mean to you in your work and in your everyday life?

— Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Including both everyday audiences and front-line workers in benefits is key, according to Farm Aid co-executive director Jennifer Fahy.

— James Pollard, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of everyday

Adjective

The happy faces lit up their temporal cortex and caudate nucleus, which are parts of the brain associated with higher cognitive and reward processing.

— Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 28 Aug. 2026
The study also establishes Cygnus X-3 as the first ultra-high-energy gamma-ray source known to show temporal variability.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of temporal

Adjective

Over millions of years, those extra abdominal oars were simplified, repurposed, and eventually erased entirely, leaving behind the streamlined six-legged architects of Earth’s terrestrial ecosystems.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
The fox is Svalbard's only native terrestrial predator, apart from the polar bear.

— Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of terrestrial

Adjective

If physical gestures serve our relatives just fine, why did our own branch of the family tree gradually favor biological changes in our brains and anatomy that permitted our characteristic complexities in language and precision in speech?

— Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
His best explanations for this are pressure from shareholders to prioritize immediate returns over long-term investments, and years of obsession with digital that came at the expense of physical retail.

— Hilary Milnes, Vogue, 3 Sep. 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

The eagerly anticipated new Los Angeles museum will welcome earthly visitors on September 22.

— Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Instead, Farage's main opponent is Count Binface, a political satirist posing as a comic space alien, with a keen interest in earthly matters, including the positioning of a hand dryer in the men's toilet in a pub in west London.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of earthly

Adjective

Thai Buddhist temples often have icons of Hindu gods, such as Ganesha and Brahma, who are believed to grant these worldly wishes.

— Brooke Schedneck, The Conversation, 24 Aug. 2026
If the Baby Einstein products were meant to introduce babies to high culture, from the music of Beethoven and Mozart to the art of da Vinci and van Gogh, many of the STEM board books seem to have more worldly goals.

— Elise Broach, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of worldly

Adjective

Sanchez was charged with one felony count of battery resulting in bodily injury, plus misdemeanor charges of unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, public intoxication endangering the life of another and battery resulting in bodily injury.

— Matt Schubert, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
He was booked at the Gladesville Police Station on three domestic violence charges — common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and intentionally choking a person without consent — and eventually released on bail.

— Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of bodily

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munching

mundane

mundaneness

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“Mundane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mundane. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of mundane

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