[Vocabulary] Bread

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tedtmc

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Freshly baked bread, hot from the oven, is crisp and soft.
After being left for a day or two, it becomes tough and loses its crispness.
Is there a word to describe this condition?
'Stale' doesn't quite describe it.
 
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emsr2d2

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Why do you think "The bread is stale" doesn't quite describe it? Your description fits "stale bread" perfectly.
 

tedtmc

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Stale is a general word to describe anything that is not fresh, an antonym.

I was thinking of a more precise word to describe the opposite of crispy/ crusty/ crunchy.. which can be applied to the deteriorating state of bread.

There is such a word in my native language to describe bread and biscuits and I was wondering if there is an equivalent word in English.
 

emsr2d2

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Biscuits go soft.
Cake and bread go hard.

However, those are descriptions of the feel of the items. The overall phrase for what has happened to them is "They have gone stale". I really can't think of another word.

Remember that there may not be a direct translation of a specific word in your language. Many languages have single words for all kinds of things for which there are no words in English.
 
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