jejune

Advancedzipf 1.64

Pronunciation

/dʒɪˈdʒuːn/(jih-JOON)

Part of speech

adjectiveformal

Chinese

幼稚的；枯燥的

Definition

Naive, simplistic, and superficial; dull and uninteresting.

Word family

  • jejunely/dʒɪˈdʒuːnli/(adv)幼稚地
  • jejuneness/dʒɪˈdʒuːnnəs/(n)幼稚

Collocations

  • jejune arguments
  • jejune commentary
  • jejune observations
  • intellectually jejune

Examples

  1. 1.His jejune analysis of the conflict ignored decades of historical context. (naively simplistic)
  2. 2.The lecture was disappointingly jejune, offering nothing that a first-year student wouldn't already know. (dull, unsubstantial)

Synonyms

  • naive/naɪˈiːv/— lacking experience
  • superficial/ˌsuːpəˈfɪʃəl/— on the surface only
  • vapid/ˈvæpɪd/— offering nothing stimulating

Etymology

from Latin "jejunus" = fasting, empty — intellectually empty or undernourished