tasteless

Tasteless is an English adjective with two principal senses. In a culinary sense, it describes something that lacks taste or flavor, or a product that tastes bland or insipid. In a broader, figurative sense, tasteless refers to a lack of aesthetic refinement or discernment, or to behavior or design that is considered in poor taste, vulgar, or inappropriate in a given cultural context. It can apply to art, fashion, decor, humor, or marketing.

Etymology: The term is formed from the noun taste plus the suffix -less, indicating absence. The modern sense expands from the literal sense of lacking flavor to a metaphorical sense of lacking cultural discernment. The phrase "in poor taste" is a closely related expression.

Usage notes: Tasteless is often pejorative and culturally relative; what is considered tasteless can vary by time, region, and audience. It is more direct than "in bad taste" and can suggest a stronger moral or aesthetic judgment. In cooking, it is less common to describe a well-seasoned dish as tasteless, but it can be used for intentionally bland flavors.

Examples of context: A tasteless joke might offend a group; a tasteless color palette might clash in interior design.

See also: bland, insipid, in bad taste, tacky, vulgar, tastelessness.