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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lightness
a lack of seriousness often at an improper time
underage drinking is a serious problem and not a matter for facetiousness and lame jokes
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of facetious
Andrew Solender, Axios, 7 Jan. 2025
That quip no longer seems so facetious as a son of exiles who fled their homeland prepares to become America’s top diplomat.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024
Some also expressed facetious disdain for how much money Downey must have accepted to come back to Marvel, suspecting a lucrative deal.
—Angela Yang, NBC News, 28 July 2024
Maher’s power is the fascination his facetious commentary holds for other, less secure pundits.
—Armond White, National Review, 7 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for facetious
Adjective
Trump has been pushing an imperialist vision that includes U.S. acquisition of Greenland, Panama, and — on a more facetious note — Canada.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 7 Jan. 2025
That quip no longer seems so facetious as a son of exiles who fled their homeland prepares to become America’s top diplomat.
—Patrick Oppmann, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024
Some also expressed facetious disdain for how much money Downey must have accepted to come back to Marvel, suspecting a lucrative deal.
—Angela Yang, NBC News, 28 July 2024
Maher’s power is the fascination his facetious commentary holds for other, less secure pundits.
—Armond White, National Review, 7 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for facetious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for facetious
Adjective
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Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, and Christopher Walken co-star in this incredibly smart and witty sci-fi drama.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
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Heckerling's 1995 film, a loose adaptation of Jane Austen's witty novel of young love, Emma, centers on Silverstone's sunny, good-hearted, yet at times slightly daft heroine.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Save on breezy skirts, cute jeans, and stretchy yoga pants that are ideal for travel.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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More: Are cute children's books teaching kids about gender and sexuality?—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Promotions that appear on Tax Day—Buy-One-Get-One, $1 promos, free anything—offer a moment of lightness in a very transactional day.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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The knit garment merged the warm marsala tone with a lightness of fabric that didn’t feel or appear to be overpowering for the royal.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The off-beat ads and humorous posters have only stoked fan conversation about what, exactly, this project is and what on earth is going on with the asterisk in the title.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
17 Apr. 2025
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Early implementations have experienced technical glitches, such as those occasionally seen in MLB's 3D broadcasts, which sometimes led to humorous but unintended visual effects.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The art of bluffing in itself, which is what the movie is all about, isn’t something to be flippant about.—
Lily Ford,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Feb. 2025
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Claiming ignorance or hyper-fixating on a flippant detail from the past gets us nowhere.—
Claire Franken,
TVLine,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The clever exploration of contrasts — marrying delicate fabrics, soft palettes, and masculine silhouettes — was the label’s unique formula for winning over fashion’s insiders, including powerhouse Moda Operandi.—
Angela Lei,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
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The film follows 11-year-old Caroline (Johnson), a clever, sharp-eyed girl navigating a life of excitement and peril as a shoplifter with her mom Jocelyn (Williams).—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Johansson brings a playful, global sensibility to Greenlandic staples—using local ingredients like capelin and ptarmigan in ways that draw from both Asian and Mediterranean influences.—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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This playful, colorful apartment block designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser ignores straight lines entirely and proves that architecture can be joyful rebellion.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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What’s causing this mockery and glee at misfortune?—
Callum Booth,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
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Another way of positioning this reaction is as an example of schadenfreude, a term used to explain taking glee in someone’s suffering—and that’s a key reason to explaining why some people are reacting to the stock market dip in this way.—
Callum Booth,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Facetious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/facetious. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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