prosaic Meaning & Definition
What Does Prosaic Mean?
Prosaic is used as an adjective meaning characteristic of prose as distinguished from poetry. It is also used to mean dull, unimaginative.
Word Facts for Prosaic
| Part of speech | adjective |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /prō-ˈzā-ik/ |
| Syllables | 3 |
| Synonyms | humdrum, commonplace and uninteresting |
| Antonyms | abnormal, exceptional and extraordinary |
| Comparative / superlative | more prosaic, most prosaic |
| Adverb | prosaically |
| First known use | 1692 |
Prosaic Definition (Adjective)
- characteristic of prose as distinguished from poetry : factual
- dull, unimaginative
prosaic advice
- everyday, ordinary
… heroic characters wasted in prosaic lives …
Synonyms of Prosaic
Antonyms of Prosaic
Prosaic in a Sentence
The tenor of Eliot's prosaic work differs greatly from that of his poetry.
I was simply making the prosaic point that we are running late.
His account of the incident was so prosaic that I nodded off while reading it.
She lived a prosaic life.
prosaic advice
… heroic characters wasted in prosaic lives …
an author with a knack for finding something of interest in the most prosaic details of suburban life
my job at the TV station dealt with the much more prosaic business of cleaning the floors
Word Forms & Grammar
pro·sa·i·cal·ly adverb
prosaic
prosaically
prosaic (comparative more prosaic, superlative most prosaic)
Words That Rhyme With Prosaic
Origin of Prosaic
Origin 1: Late Latin prosaicus, from Latin prosa prose
Origin 2: From Middle French prosaïque, from Medieval Latin prosaicus (“in prose”), from Latin prosa (“prose”), from prorsus (“straightforward, in prose”), from Old Latin provorsus (“straight ahead”), from pro- (“forward”) + vorsus (“turned”), from vertō (“to turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to turn, to bend”).
First Known Use
1692
Pronouncing Prosaic
Prosaic is pronounced /prō-ˈzā-ik/ and has 3 syllables, with the main stress on the second syllable (zā).
Frequently Asked Questions About Prosaic
What part of speech is prosaic?
Prosaic is an adjective.
What is another word for prosaic?
Close synonyms of prosaic are humdrum, commonplace and uninteresting. See the full list of prosaic synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of prosaic?
Words opposite in meaning to prosaic are abnormal, exceptional, extraordinary and odd.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of prosaic?
The comparative form is more prosaic and the superlative form is most prosaic.