What does blah mean?
Blah is an informal English word for talk or writing that is empty, tedious, or meaningless — the verbal equivalent of filler noise. It can stand alone as a noun ("enough of this blah"), appear as an interjection to mimic or dismiss such speech, or function as an adjective describing anything dull or uninspired, as in a blah afternoon. Its most distinctive form is the plural phrase "the blahs," which describes a vague mood of listlessness or mild gloom rather than speech at all — as when someone has the blahs on a rainy weekend. Originating in early twentieth-century American English, likely as an imitative vocalization of droning speech, blah is firmly conversational in register and best avoided in formal prose. It remains popular precisely because it captures, in a single dismissive syllable, both worthless language and the deflated mood that often accompanies having to listen to it.
Empty, tedious, or nonsensical talk.
"The meeting was two hours of blah followed by no decisions."
In the plural ("the blahs"), a feeling of listlessness or low spirits.
"He couldn't shake the blahs all week."
Always used with the definite article: "the blahs," never "blahs" alone.
Dull, boring, or uninspiring (informal).
"It was a blah sort of Sunday — nothing worth doing."
Chiefly North American informal usage.
As a noun meaning empty talk, blah is usually uncountable. The plural form occurs only in the fixed idiom "the blahs," meaning a state of dullness or low spirits, and always takes the definite article.
"With the rain and the short days, she had a bad case of the blahs."
Despite sounding like pure laziness, blah earned its place in dictionaries — and its plural "the blahs" gives English one of its few cheerful-sounding words for feeling down.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blah
Blah emerged in American English in the early twentieth century, with printed evidence dating from around the time of the First World War. It appears to be purely imitative in origin, mimicking the sound of monotonous or unintelligible speech rather than deriving from another word or root. It quickly developed related forms, including the reduplicated "blah-blah" and the idiomatic plural "the blahs." Because of its imitative nature, it has no true cognates in other languages.
Word family
Usage notes
Strictly informal and conversational; avoid in formal writing. The adjective use ("a blah day") is common in American English. The plural "the blahs" always takes the definite article.
Don't confuse with
"Bleh" expresses disgust or dissatisfaction with something, while "blah" refers to empty talk or a feeling of dullness.