vapid

Synonym Chooser

How is the word vapid distinct from other similar adjectives?

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

an exciting story given a vapid treatment

When can banal be used instead of vapid?

While in some cases nearly identical to vapid, banal stresses the complete absence of freshness, novelty, or immediacy.

a banal tale of unrequited love

When is flat a more appropriate choice than vapid?

Although the words flat and vapid have much in common, flat applies to things that have lost their sparkle or zest.

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

When would inane be a good substitute for vapid?

The words inane and vapid can be used in similar contexts, but inane implies a lack of any significant or convincing quality.

an inane interpretation of the play

In what contexts can insipid take the place of vapid?

In some situations, the words insipid and vapid are roughly equivalent. However, insipid implies a lack of sufficient taste or savor to please or interest.

an insipid romance with platitudes on every page

Where would jejune be a reasonable alternative to vapid?

The meanings of jejune and vapid largely overlap; however, jejune suggests a lack of rewarding or satisfying substance.

a jejune and gassy speech

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 vapid So much of modern football discourse is taken up with banality, immaturity, petty insults, utterly vapid arguments about the size of rival clubs, or fanbases, or the length of trophy droughts. Tim Spiers, New York Times, 18 May 2025 The sanctimonious proto-Communist bait of Good Night, and Good Luck Activist-actor George Clooney confirms his hyphenate status by adapting his vapid 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck for the Broadway stage. Armond White, National Review, 30 Apr. 2025 Thankfully, Cronenberg is less interested in taking potshots at his vapid characters (played by the game likes of Julianne Moore, John Cusack, and Evan Bird channeling Shia LaBeouf) than in unearthing the sadness and madness that gnaws at their superficial dreams. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025 At a time when electronic music is wracked by nostalgia and vapid genre collisions, the most addictive 2020s phonk offers the thrilling promise of a wild new style. Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vapid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vapid
Adjective
  • Anyone who suggests Guardiola’s title-winning Manchester City teams were boring should be forced to watch 90 minutes of Mourinho’s Chelsea versus Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool in the mid-2000s and report back.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The details might be boring, but the gathering of money—searching gem dealers, gold dealers—was a full-time job.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But, God, to be able to play a Pablo Escobar who was just petty and wanted friends, there was something so stupid and so hilarious about that to me.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Keaton continued to play oddballs with a peculiar way of talking, though none were trivial or stupid.
    Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • About 1,300 people from around the world -- ranging from children as young as 12 years old to elite athletes -- participated in the race.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The last one – the last out of a game, say, or the last victory in a playoff series – is considered the hardest one to achieve, if old adages and the like are to be believed.
    Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Reeves delivers on all phases of his character arc, making a potentially dull and earnest character soar.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The text is excitable and wayward, while many of the photographs are dramatically dull.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Losing is so deeply ingrained in the fabric of this franchise that every slow start has the potential to snowball.
    Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • His administration has seen some success; inflation in Argentina eased this year to the slowest monthly pace in more than four years.
    Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • With the departure of disgraced co-creator Justin Roiland after the third season, the show has been steadily improving in quality, with a tremendous cast and some very funny done-in-one episodes that don't have the sometimes tiring cynicism of R&M.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
  • However, some Republicans have spoken out against her and recently reported that some administration officials are tiring of her, suggesting her influence is not unbridled.
    Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Market breadth is blah, the equal-weight S & P 500 flattish , volumes are subdued, recent winners such as homebuilders easing back.
    Michael Santoli, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The San Francisco Giants are having yet another blah season, taking a 59-60 record into Tuesday and trailing the Padres by eight games.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Arsenal were distinctly pedestrian in their 1-0 win against Manchester United in their Premier League opener on Sunday, with new signing Viktor Gyokeres still looking out of sync with the rest of team after his $86m move from Sporting Club.
    Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
  • The unusual start time—one that was especially onerous to viewers on the West Coast—limited Woods’ live deliveries to a rather pedestrian 10.8 million viewers.
    Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 15 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Vapid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vapid. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

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