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fatuous

[fach-oo-uhs] / ˈfætʃ u əs /


Usage

What are other ways to say fatuous? The adjective fatuous implies being not only foolish, dull, and vacant in mind, but complacent and highly self-satisfied as well: fatuous and self-important; fatuous answers. Foolish implies a lack of common sense or good judgment or, sometimes, a weakness of mind: a foolish decision; The child seems foolish. Silly denotes extreme and conspicuous foolishness; it may also refer to pointlessness of jokes, remarks, etc.: silly and senseless behavior; a perfectly silly statement. Inane applies to silliness that is notably lacking in content, sense, or point: inane questions that leave one with no reply. Stupid implies natural slowness or dullness of intellect, or, sometimes, a benumbed or dazed state of mind; it is also used to mean foolish or silly: He was rendered stupid by a blow; It is stupid to do such a thing. Asinine originally meant like an ass; it applies to witlessly stupid conversations or conduct and suggests a lack of social grace or perception: He failed to notice the reaction to his asinine remarks.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It sounds so fatuous, but it needs to be a real thing. And if it’s not, people will know it. You can’t lie.”

From Salon • May 15, 2026

The concept is simple but wildly effective, with enough force to push the viewer past many of the film’s fatuous elements.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Visually epic, sonically relentless and otherwise fatuous, the film has a dramatic inertia occasionally punctuated by eruptions of utter catastrophe—a series of shocks that leaves you singed, shaken and not much better for it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

Not buying that fatuous distinction, Muriel, whom Molaskey handily makes the most complex character among a crowd of cartoons, offers a rebuttal in what may be the only ode to fact-checking ever written.

From New York Times • Feb. 6, 2024

Her expression of duplicity was balanced by the fatuous confidence with which the Unicom regarded her.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White




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