flippant

adjective

flip·pant ˈfli-pənt

Synonyms of flippant next

: lacking proper respect or seriousness

archaic : glib, talkative

flippantly adverb

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Does flippant Have a Positive or Negative Connotation?

Flippant is believed to come from flip, which, in turn, is a supposed imitation of the sound of something flipping. The earliest senses of the adjective are "nimble" and "limber." One can be flippant not only on one's feet but in speech—that is to say, their words flow easily. Such flippancy was considered a good thing at first; however, people who speak freely can sometimes seem too talkative, and even impertinent. The positive sense of flippant has slipped from use, but the "disrespectful" sense still flows.

Examples of flippant in a Sentence

As far as he was concerned, we were an unforgivably flippant bunch. Louche. Our shared political stance … struck him as pathetically naive. —

Mordecai Richler, GQ, November 1997

… although she is neither solemn nor pontifical, she may be the least flippant advice columnist in the business. —

Ray Olson, Booklist, 1 May 1991

Despite its flippant name, the Greed Index has proven a remarkably prescient barometer of the market during the past 16 years. —

Richard E. Rustin, Wall Street Journal, 29 May 1984

He made a flippant response to a serious question. his flippant comment that the poor save on taxes offended many people

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

On the more flippant end of the spectrum, Magione’s handsome appearance has drawn its own share of fans, prompting the kind of ribald and jocular online commentary that seems incongruous with the seriousness of the crime of which he is accused. —

Niall Stanage, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2024 Despite the seriousness of the charges, many social media users have taken a strikingly flippant stance on the cold-blooded public execution of an American insurance executive, highlighting a consensus among people of all political stripes that the country's healthcare industry is deeply broken. —

Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024 But over the course of the pair’s tour of Poland to visit their late grandmother’s ancestral home, Benji’s flippant manner keeps dissolving to reveal internal conflict and profound melancholy. —

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Dec. 2024 That includes Andrew Yancy, an extremely tall and flippant former Miami detective who was reassigned to work for the sheriff’s department in the Keys until he got temporarily suspended from that job, too. —

Jen Chaney, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for flippant