1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest another moralizing tale filled with jejune platitudes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word jejune distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of jejune are banal, flat, inane, insipid, and vapid. While all these words mean "devoid of qualities that make for spirit and character," jejune suggests a lack of rewarding or satisfying substance.

a jejune and gassy speech

When might banal be a better fit than jejune?

While the synonyms banal and jejune are close in meaning, banal stresses the complete absence of freshness, novelty, or immediacy.

a banal tale of unrequited love

Where would flat be a reasonable alternative to jejune?

While in some cases nearly identical to jejune, flat applies to things that have lost their sparkle or zest.

although well-regarded in its day, the novel now seems flat

In what contexts can inane take the place of jejune?

The words inane and jejune are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, inane implies a lack of any significant or convincing quality.

an inane interpretation of the play

When is insipid a more appropriate choice than jejune?

The words insipid and jejune can be used in similar contexts, but insipid implies a lack of sufficient taste or savor to please or interest.

an insipid romance with platitudes on every page

When would vapid be a good substitute for jejune?

In some situations, the words vapid and jejune are roughly equivalent. However, vapid suggests a lack of liveliness, force, or spirit.

an exciting story given a vapid treatment

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jejune
Adjective
  • Though the pacing and breadth of the episode ensure that things never get boring, not all the stories are equally compelling.
    Scott Meslow, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Klum doesn't want to let anyone down by choosing the boring or easy way out with a costume.
    Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The brand is seeing an upswing post-pandemic, as these childish styles, long favored in Asia-Pacific countries like Japan and South Korea, become increasingly popular in China and the West.
    Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
  • She’s fallen under the sway of a fashionable worldview in which logic is paramount, and the realm of emotion and magic and even dæmons is just childish fancy.
    Lev Grossman, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • And that’s a stupid, dumb, mindless question.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Dessert Week is the stupidest week, at least conceptually.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Noah's sister-in-law Esther (Jackie Tohn), the Jewish character portrayed most insultingly last year, has thankfully been softened and refined, and has somehow become the lone voice of reason amongst a group of immature idiots.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Stem cells are immature cells that have the ability to turn into insulin-producing beta cells and to produce more cells like themselves.
    Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But Braun was solid before tiring and working through injuries that affected him on the ball over the final month last season.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Instead of a chance to flex their goalscoring muscles, United had to grit their teeth and see out a gruelling, tense, tiring second half.
    Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Biden Administration's contrary position depended on the obvious fallacy that providing testosterone to treat a boy's endocrine disorder is the 'same treatment' as using the drug to disrupt the normal physical development of an adolescent girl suffering from psychological distress.
    Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Did an adolescent Bruce really have to walk into bars and collect his father, at the urging of his mother?
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Tiles also exhibited hysteresis, which was smaller at slower speeds due to the rubber’s viscoelastic properties, as reported by Nanowerk.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2025
  • Levi, an electrical engineer who founded MicroKits in 2020, has had to raise prices, slow production and pause plans to launch a new product – Banan-a-Synth – that lets kids turn a bunch of bananas into a kind of keyboard.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • According to the outlet, Sears was airlifted to a hospital following injuries sustained in the crash, while a juvenile passenger sitting in the back was also taken for medical treatment.
    David Chiu, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
  • Today, much of the building sits empty in north Charlotte, and local teenagers charged with crimes are sent to a state juvenile facility in Cabarrus County.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Jejune.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jejune. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

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