1 jejune | Definition of jejune
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

jejune

adjective
je·​june | \ ji-ˈjün How to pronounce jejune (audio) \

Definition of jejune

1 : devoid of significance or interest : dull jejune lectures … the "literary" fiction being written in this country nowadays strikes me as so jejune, self-absorbed and lifeless that I am just about unable to read it, much less pass fair judgment on it.— Jonathan Yardley
2 : juvenile, puerile jejune reflections on life and art So downplay your romantic and adolescent past. This means no jejune wall art. Says one discerning friend, "I see a Lolita poster, I'm out of there."— Allison Glock
3 : lacking nutritive value jejune diets
Other Words from jejune Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Is it jejune? More Example Sentences Learn More about jejune

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from jejune

jejunely adverb
jejuneness \ ji-​ˈjün-​nÉ™s How to pronounce jejuneness (audio) \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for jejune

insipid, vapid, flat, jejune, banal, inane mean devoid of qualities that make for spirit and character. insipid implies a lack of sufficient taste or savor to please or interest. an insipid romance with platitudes on every page vapid suggests a lack of liveliness, force, or spirit. an exciting story given a vapid treatment flat applies to things that have lost their sparkle or zest. although well-regarded in its day, the novel now seems flat jejune suggests a lack of rewarding or satisfying substance. a jejune and gassy speech banal stresses the complete absence of freshness, novelty, or immediacy. a banal tale of unrequited love inane implies a lack of any significant or convincing quality. an inane interpretation of the play

Is it jejune?

Starved for excitement? You won't get it from something jejune. That term derives from the Latin jejunus, which means "empty of food," "meager," or "hungry." Back in the 1600s, English speakers used jejune in senses very similar to those of its Latin parent, lamenting "jejune appetites" and "jejune morsels." Something that is meager rarely satisfies, and before long jejune was being used not only for meager meals or hunger, but for things wanting in intellectual or emotional substance. The word most likely gained its "childish" sense when people confused it with the look-alike French word jeune, which means "young."

Examples of jejune in a Sentence

She made jejune remarks about life and art. another moralizing tale filled with jejune platitudes

First Known Use of jejune

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 3

History and Etymology for jejune

Latin jejunus empty of food, hungry, meager

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for jejune

jejune

adjective
How to pronounce jejune (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of jejune

formal
: not interesting
: too simple

See the full definition for jejune in the English Language Learners Dictionary

More from Merriam-Webster on jejune

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with jejune

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for jejune

Nglish: Translation of jejune for Spanish Speakers

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!