1
as in witty
given to or marked by mature intelligent humor
the essay is a facetious commentary on the absurdity of war as a solution for international disputes
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cute
making light of something usually regarded as serious or sacred
a facetious and tasteless remark about people in famine-stricken countries being spared the problem of overeating
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of facetious
To be facetious, how many of those people who committed mass murder in the fifth largest city in America went to death row?
—
Dave Zirin, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025
At first, Yellow Face offers a facetious and overly complicated panorama, shuffling Daniel Dae Kim’s glibly intellectual DHH and Francis Jue’s heartfelt HYH among the Asian, black, and white supporting actors who portray various egotistic New York professionals.
—Armond White, National Review, 21 May 2025
In the 30-second ad, 314 Action presented Kennedy’s swim in Rock Creek as absurd, posting it next to two facetious headlines saying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered drone strikes from a steam bath and another saying Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shot and killed another dog.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 19 May 2025
Given this is an AMA, there is no clear way to tell if Perkins was being facetious or not.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for facetious
Dave Zirin, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025
At first, Yellow Face offers a facetious and overly complicated panorama, shuffling Daniel Dae Kim’s glibly intellectual DHH and Francis Jue’s heartfelt HYH among the Asian, black, and white supporting actors who portray various egotistic New York professionals.
—Armond White, National Review, 21 May 2025
In the 30-second ad, 314 Action presented Kennedy’s swim in Rock Creek as absurd, posting it next to two facetious headlines saying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered drone strikes from a steam bath and another saying Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shot and killed another dog.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 19 May 2025
Given this is an AMA, there is no clear way to tell if Perkins was being facetious or not.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for facetious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for facetious
Adjective
-
Thornton captures the college scene with witty ease.—
Chris Hewitt,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Love is fun, witty and mentally stimulating now.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Fly across the world to visit archives and then look at additional pamphlets just because the covers look cute.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
-
For adventurous travelers who want to look cute in photos but also have a hike, tennis match, or other adventure on the agenda, this pleated skirt is an ideal pick.—
Paris Wilson,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This is distinct from writing that is humorous, the stuff that will give you a wry smile at best.—
John Warner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The team of Bob Mortimer, Aisling Bea, and Sally Phillips sang a song that playfully mocked Rosalind, but the team of Nish Kumar and Mark Watson—whose performances had been hilariously scattershot that season—delivered a sweet, self-effacing, and humorous song that took everyone by surprise.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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During his Monday night Daily Show episode, the political comic blasted the POTUS’ flippant attitude toward his largely unfavorable military decisions in the SWANA region.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
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Given how flippant Rodgers has been with his decision-making over the last few years, and his insistence that he won’t be bullied into deciding his future on anyone’s timeline but his makes predicting what the four-time MVP will do quite a tough ask.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Outside of being a clever marketing tactic, the controversy over the movie was also the natural result of a pre-internet time when Faces of Death was more talked about than actually seen.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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The clever tuning of the suspension and the steering wheel -- that's what our engineers are incredibly skilled at.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The light green color featuring white-and-yellow flowers is bright and playful for spring, while metallic threading throughout gives this dress a more formal feel.—
Paige Bennett,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Apr. 2026
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The food is elegant yet playful with impeccable attention to detail.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Facetious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/facetious. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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