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
  • Corner infielders Carlos Santana (1B, CLE): The definition of boring and solid.
    Owen Poindexter, New York Times, 13 June 2025
  • Much happens in the sixth episode, but most of it is pretty boring like the rest of this season.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • From baby animals to childish drawings, Labubu to Mary Janes, all things cute have entered the mainstream.
    Gemma A. Williams, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • There is something of the rat terrier in her small white face, an intensity that has never seemed childish but unnaturally adult.
    Lizz Schumer, People.com, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • Mexican men were dismissed as violent Panchos and stupid Pedros.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
  • There’s more stupid romance around harder substances but few chemicals are more hazardous to ambition than THC.
    Benjamin Hale June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • After hatching, the immature cicadas or nymphs spend 17 or 13 years underground, feeding on roots, then emerge during the spring and transform into adult cicadas.
    Saleen Martin, USA Today, 14 June 2025
  • And babies younger than six months old—who are ineligible for vaccination because of their immature immune system—have the highest rates COVID hospitalization after adults aged 75 and older.
    Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • Seeing that expansion and contraction over and over for six episodes (let alone three seasons) can grow tiring, and Season 3 certainly suffers from a sense of exhaustion.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 27 June 2025
  • Now in his 80s trips to the islands are more challenging, and maintaining a boat that can make the journey is expensive and tiring.
    Kathleen Rellihan, Outside Online, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • With its whip-smart satire and adolescent vulnerability, the movie catapulted Williamson into the Hollywood spotlight.
    JP Mangalindan, Time, 19 June 2025
  • Researchers reviewing camera trap footage from a remote island off Panama found that a group of adolescent capuchin monkeys were routinely kidnapping baby howler monkeys and carrying them around like accessories.
    Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • The music is, for the most part, quiet and slow, often hovering at the edge of silence.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
  • Repeated waxing weakens follicles, making hair grow in finer and slower over time.
    Nia Bowers, USA Today, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • As summer approaches, a juvenile great white shark named Dold has today been detected off the Long Island coastline, marking the latest milestone in a months-long migration that has taken him up the U.S. East Coast.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
  • An undercover detective who was posing as a juvenile female was allegedly contacted online by a man later identified as Maynard.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 19 June 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 30 Jun. 2025.

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