Etymology

• Sense “Idle, meaningless talk” (1918), probably imitative or echoic in origin.
• Adjective sense “bland, dull” (1919), perhaps influenced by .
• The blahs (“boredom, mild depression”) first attested 1969; extension of adjective sense and influenced by term .

Noun

1. Nonsense; drivel; idle, meaningless talk.
2. (in plural, the blahs) A general or ambiguous feeling of discomfort, dissatisfaction, uneasiness, boredom, mild depression, etc.

Synonyms

Adjective

1. Dull; uninteresting; insipid.

   Well, the new restaurant seems nice, but their menu is a little blah.

2. Low in spirit or health; down.

   I decided to go exercise rather than sit around all day feeling blah.

Interjection

1. An expression of mild frustration.

   Blah! Why can't I get this computer to work!

2. (When spoken repeatedly, often three times in succession: blah blah blah!) Imitative of idle, meaningless talk; used sometimes in a slightly derogatory manner to mock or downplay another's words, or to show disinterest in a diatribe, rant, instructions, unsolicited advice, parenting, etc. Also used when recalling and retelling another's words, as a substitute for the portions of the speech deemed irrelevant.

   Yea, yea, blah blah blah, Mom, you said this all yesterday.

   And then he was like, "Oh, my brother's an Internet millionaire, blah blah blah." Like I care!

3. Representing the sound of vomiting. See bleah, bleh.