flippant

adjective

ˈfli-pənt How to pronounce flippant (audio)
Definition of flippantnext
as in cute
making light of something usually regarded as serious or sacred his flippant comment that the poor save on taxes offended many people

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flippant Chick lit was flippant and fizzy and fun, above all, as effervescent and guiltless as a vodka soda. — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 4 May 2026 Like the Oakley-wearing guy’s flippant comment about Monet, the essayist’s claims about my book came from of a failure of introspection. — Literary Hub, 6 Apr. 2026 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 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 See All Example Sentences for flippant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flippant
  1. cute
  2. facetious
  3. playful
  4. inappropriate
  5. wise
Adjective
  • After Culkin penned a sweet message to Song on Instagram at the time, the actress responded by posting a cute Polaroid-style snap of the couple sharing a kiss on her own Instagram page.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026
  • There are some really cute rooftop spots in the Beverly Hills area.
    — Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of cute
Adjective
  • The excess of emotion often scans as winkingly facetious, a dramatization to demonstrate just how deeply a person loves books.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 8 July 2026
  • The first thing he was asked, by another reporter who witnessed the debate, was a facetious question of whether he’s given MVP any thought.
    — Jared Weiss, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Definition of facetious
Adjective
  • Plus, beloved companions like Pascal and more are taking center stage in playful designs.
    — Casey DelBasso, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • This Damson Madder Myrtle Trench is the perfect way to incorporate the trend with fun, playful touches.
    — Tessa Petak, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of playful
Adjective
  • Pat is a little bit like an inappropriate uncle at a family gathering in the 1970s.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Montana did not directly answer questions about the decision to choose BCBS over Allegiance and whether there was inappropriate contact among state officials.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of inappropriate
Adjective
  • The wisest societal response to this would, of course, be to set out a policy framework to address both the root causes and the symptoms of the problem.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
  • On her latest record, Girlfriend, Ives contends with getting older and wiser—and sober.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of wise

Browse Nearby Words

flippancy
flippant
flipped
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Flippant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flippant. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on flippant

Nglish: Translation of flippant for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of rigmarole

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All