Words / C2

nond-i-SKRIPT/ˌnɒndɪˈskrɪpt/

Nondescript means lacking distinctive features; hard to describe because nothing stands out: a nondescript building, nondescript prose. Ordinary (already in the dictionary) is everyday and not always unkind; plain is close. Do not call a required fire notice nondescript because it spoils a photograph.

Meaning

Lacking distinctive features; dull and hard to describe.

Examples

• “A nondescript cover slide still has to carry a date and an n.”
• “Ordinary is everyday (already in the dictionary). Plain is close. Featureless is the gloss. A beige corridor can be nondescript and still have an exit sign. Decor is not a methods standard. The slide can be dull; the cell cannot be empty.”

Good to know

Featureless; hard to describe. Everyday: ordinary / plain. A dull cover is allowed; a missing date is not.

Near in meaning

ordinary

New