Definition of jejunenext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

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
  • The boring lunch ends boringly, with the women sipping their champagne in silence, tucking into their salads, and ignoring the commemorative glasses that no one wanted.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
  • This sounds like a boring event but the boys turn the act of breaking up ice or sleet sheets from the sidewalk into a hockey-like competition.
    Caleb Harris, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Hence the childish clown imagery in an era before coulrophobia was widely talked about.
    Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 16 Feb. 2026
  • However, Robbie’s performance keeps Cathy’s childish nature intact with many obsessive outbursts.
    Ellise Shafer, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • But maybe Johnson isn’t stupid.
    Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Even in contemporary political and intellectual discourse, there remains an attachment to a particular stupid southern conservatism, the ideocratic confederacy.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Adults have a waxy cottony-looking coating, while immature bugs are smaller but similar.
    Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
  • The film’s vintage patina doesn’t detract from rising actor Will Price’s confident performance as an immature mobster who prefers bitcoin to stacks of Benjamins.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • It's been a cold, tiring week, but the light at the end of the tunnel that is a Saturday at Ikea picking out lamp shades is finally within sight.
    Joe Mutascio, IndyStar, 6 Feb. 2026
  • But studies have also shown that consuming caffeine before a mentally tiring task reduces the feeling of cognitive fatigue.
    Katharine Gammon, Time, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Derry Girls, which followed teens in McGee’s native Derry in the years preceding 1998’s Good Friday Agreement, was a raucous, joke-dense show that juxtaposed mundane adolescent rites of passage with the daily horrors of life in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.
    Judy Berman, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
  • The scale of underage wagering is hard to measure, but a recent survey of 1,017 adolescent boys nationwide, found 36% gambled in the last year.
    Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • That builds on similar trends throughout 2025, when the industry buoyed an otherwise slow labor market, as the nation’s hospitals, clinics and nursing homes kept hiring even as many employers pulled back.
    Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Any type of realism was [limited to] very short clips, everything was very slow, bad textures, no skin textures, lacking detail.
    Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • These victories include an insulin co-pay cap, new money for public schools, lowering the cost of health care and child care, opening up mental health programs, connecting young adults to job opportunities, and reforming our juvenile justice system.
    Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
  • For the new study, Yun and her colleagues removed the thymus from several juvenile axolotls.
    Taylor Mitchell Brown, Scientific American, 14 Feb. 2026
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 21 Feb. 2026.

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