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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

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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 Diet culture doesn’t care about your health The flippant comments about this parasite belie the dominant belief that weight loss is inherently about pursuing health. — Oona Hanson, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 And for Lestat’s part, Louis has been flippant with his feelings. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2026 Your method of dismissing your flippant remarks, then, is probably the next best option to silence. — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for flippant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flippant
  1. cute
  2. facetious
  3. playful
  4. inappropriate
  5. wise
Adjective
  • Style this maxi skirt with a dressy blouse, tights, and tall boots for a cute date night ensemble, or dress it down with a sweater and sneakers for more low-key days.
    — Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Everyone was amazed that, yes, this teeny tiny thing was actually a functioning camera that could take relatively good pictures, and not just a cute, decorative keychain.
    — Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 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
  • Eisenberg’s playful comedy, which just premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, is sometimes a musical and occasionally a thriller.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • At a gathering with other artists, a seemingly playful party game culminates in an excruciating monologue about child abuse.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of playful
Adjective
  • The Star spoke to 11 current and former employees who have worked for Sanders and who all detailed various types of abuse and inappropriate behavior that had allegedly taken place at their workplace.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The inappropriate touching included slapping her on the buttocks and touching her hair and thighs, the report states.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of inappropriate
Adjective
  • Kansas City slumped to a 6-11 finish in 2025, but the Kansas City defense remained in the top 10 and points and yards allowed league-wise.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Fernando Guerra, a professor at Loyola Marymount University, told my colleague Noah Goldberg that Raman might be wise not to simply focus on capturing the Pratt vote.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of wise

Browse Nearby Words

flippancy
flippant
flipped
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Cite this Entry

“Flippant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flippant. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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