sophomoric
adjective
Did you know?
Sophomores get a bad rap. A lot of people seem to think they're foolish (no matter what they do), when they themselves know they're pretty wise. The history of the words sophomore and sophomoric (which developed from sophomore) proves that it has always been tough to be a sophomore. Those words probably come from a combination of the Greek terms sophos (which means "wise") and mōros (which means "foolish"). But sophomores can take comfort in the fact that some very impressive words, including philosopher and sophisticated, are also related to sophos.
Examples of sophomoric in a Sentence
Bill Swank, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2026
This web page, which invites users to look up the number of immigrants supposedly arrested on charges of criminal activity in American cities and towns, belongs to a subgenre of Trumpian gestures that are menacing and sophomoric at the same time.
—M. Gessen, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
Yes, some of the lyrics are maddeningly sophomoric and emotional, but that’s also a part of the tradition Corgan has spawned.
—David Harris, SPIN, 2 June 2026
Like high school, the chants emanating from the Tarps Off crew can be a bit sophomoric.
—Candace Buckner, New York Times, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for sophomoric
Cite this Entry
“Sophomoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sophomoric. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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sophomoric
adjective
