facile
adjective
fac·ile
| \ ˈfa-səl
\
\
Definition of facile
1a(1)
: easily accomplished or attained
a facile victory
(2)
: shallow, simplistic
I am not concerned … with offering any facile solution for so complex a problem— T. S. Eliot
b
: used or comprehended with ease
c
: readily manifested and often lacking sincerity or depth
facile tears
2
archaic
: mild or pleasing in manner or disposition
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from facile
facilely
\ ˈfa-sə(l)-lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
facileness
\ ˈfa-səl-nəs
\
noun
\
noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for facile
Synonyms
one-dimensional, shallow, skin-deep, superficial
Antonyms
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of facile in a Sentence
But in the less palmy days of their marriage and the final years of his life, Lennon produced (with Yoko's help) shallow, facile recordings that cannibalized his early work.
— Francine Prose, The Lives of the Muses, 2002
Melville shrank from atheism, and from all facile theisms.
— John Updike, Hugging the Shore, (1983) 1984
… I saw that my old enemy was dead, Amy [Lowell], noble Amy. How I despised myself then for my facile self-pity and for my failure to die—how she seemed to have worsted me once again.
— Conrad Aiken 14 May 1925,
in Selected Letters of Conrad Aiken, 1978
This problem needs more than just a facile solution.
He is a wonderfully facile writer.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
In the squabbling and eventual all-out feuding that ensues, characters who had seemed so easy to ridicule as stereotypes acquire a substance and specificity that inhibit both derision and facile categorization. — Ben Brantley, New York Times, "Review: Opinions Collide in the Explosive Comedy ‘Eureka Day’," 29 Aug. 2019 But it’s facile language, which may sound meaningful but has no practical applications. — Monica Hesse, Washington Post, "Sean Spicer doing the cha-cha is the ‘civil discourse’ we deserve in a broken 2019," 23 Aug. 2019 Here is where some observers balk, contending that the Celebrant’s return to faith after all this seems too abrupt and facile. — Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, "Ravinia review: Bernstein’s ‘Mass’ gets a brilliant encore, bound for TV," 21 July 2019 Perrier’s film avoids the usual trappings of sinister depravity or facile judgment. — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, "Black Harvest Film Festival sets a course for the next 25 years," 1 Aug. 2019 Nike compounded their impertinence by announcing withdrawal of production for facile reasoning that it could be seen as racist symbol. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Econometer: Did Nike make the right move recalling Betsy Ross shoes?," 12 July 2019 Rejecting facile judgements, Amherst College historian Martha Saxton’s brilliant... — Kathleen Duval, WSJ, "‘The Widow Washington’ Review: Mary, Mother of George," 7 June 2019 It all moves along at a snappy enough pace, but sometimes feels more facile than insightful. — New York Times, "‘Late Night’ Review: Emma Thompson Takes On the Old Boys of Network TV," 5 June 2019 Their initially facile relationship quickly deepens and becomes all consuming. — Donal Ryan, WSJ, "Five Best: Donal Ryan on Novels About College Days," 13 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'facile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for facile
facile
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of facile
formal
disapproving
: too simple : not showing enough thought or effort
disapproving
: done or achieved in a way that is too easy
chiefly US, approving
: working, moving, or performing well and very easily
See the full definition for facile in the English Language Learners Dictionary
Keep scrolling for more