jejune

adjective

je·june | \ ji-ˈjün

Definition of jejune

1 : devoid of significance or interest : dull jejune lectures … the "literary" fiction being written in this country nowadays strikes me as so jejune, self-absorbed and lifeless that I am just about unable to read it, much less pass fair judgment on it.— Jonathan Yardley

2 : juvenile, puerile jejune reflections on life and art So downplay your romantic and adolescent past. This means no jejune wall art. Says one discerning friend, "I see a Lolita poster, I'm out of there."— Allison Glock

3 : lacking nutritive value jejune diets

Other Words from jejune Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Is it jejune? More Example Sentences Learn More About jejune

Choose the Right Synonym for jejune

insipid, vapid, flat, jejune, banal, inane mean devoid of qualities that make for spirit and character. insipid implies a lack of sufficient taste or savor to please or interest. an insipid romance with platitudes on every page vapid suggests a lack of liveliness, force, or spirit. an exciting story given a vapid treatment flat applies to things that have lost their sparkle or zest. although well-regarded in its day, the novel now seems flat jejune suggests a lack of rewarding or satisfying substance. a jejune and gassy speech banal stresses the complete absence of freshness, novelty, or immediacy. a banal tale of unrequited love inane implies a lack of any significant or convincing quality. an inane interpretation of the play

Is it jejune?

Starved for excitement? You won't get it from something jejune. That term derives from the Latin jejunus, which means "empty of food," "meager," or "hungry." Back in the 1600s, English speakers used jejune in senses very similar to those of its Latin parent, lamenting "jejune appetites" and "jejune morsels." Something that is meager rarely satisfies, and before long jejune was being used not only for meager meals or hunger, but for things wanting in intellectual or emotional substance. The word most likely gained its "childish" sense when people confused it with the look-alike French word jeune, which means "young."