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How did vanilla get such a bad rap? The flavor with that name certainly has enough fans, with the bean of the Vanilla genus of orchids finding its way into products ranging from ice cream to coffee to perfumes to air fresheners. Vanilla's unfortunate reputation arose due to its being regarded as the "basic" flavor among ice-cream selections, particularly as more complex flavors emerged on the market. (Its somewhat beigey color probably didn't help.) From there, people began using the adjective to describe anything plain, ordinary, or conventional.
Synonyms
Examples of vanilla in a Sentence
Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2024
The candle boasts scents of lemon, cedar log, and vanilla.
—Claire Hoppe, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2024
In September 2023, Dunkin’ followed up the launch by releasing four different flavors of its Spiked Iced Coffee, also based on some of its most popular in-store drinks: original iced coffee, caramel iced coffee, mocha iced coffee and vanilla iced coffee.
—Miles Berry, Peoplemag, 7 Aug. 2024
Official tasting notes describe dark chocolate, cinnamon, honey, and creamy vanilla on the palate, with more tropical notes than usual on the finish.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for vanilla 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vanilla.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Vanilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vanilla. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
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