Did you know?
“Then away goes the brisk and pleasant Spirits and leave a vapid or sour Drink.” So wrote John Mortimer—an early 18th-century expert on agriculture, orchards, and cider-making—in his book on husbandry. His use was typical for his day, when vapid was often used specifically in reference to liquor. The term comes from Latin vapidus, meaning “flat-tasting,” a possible relative of vapor. That use still occurs today; you might, for example, hear an uninspiring wine described as vapid. More likely, however, you’ll hear vapid, along with the synonyms insipid, flat, and inane, describe people and things that are dull and boring, empty and insubstantial, or lacking spirit and character.
Examples of vapid in a Sentence
Lemony Snicket, The Ersatz Elevator, 2001
In a secular age, symbolic rituals such as lighting the Olympic torch inevitably risk seeming a little vapid.
—Tony Perrottet, Civilization, June/July 2000
… the incompetent servant, by whomsoever employed, is always against his employer. Even those born governors, noble and right honourable creatures, who have been the most imbecile in high places, have uniformly shown themselves the most opposed (sometimes in belying distrust, sometimes in vapid insolence) to THEIR employer. What is in such wise true of the public master and servant, is equally true of the private master and servant all the world over.
—Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, 1865
a song with vapid lyrics
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 26 Mar. 2025
The question of the night is the choice between selling their souls to the vapid American tourists at the Tropicana Club (bad) or singing for their own people on the wrong side of the tracks (good).
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
The question of the night is the choice between selling out their souls to the vapid American tourists at the Tropicana nightclub (bad) or singing for their own people on the wrong side of the tracks (good).
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
Intertwined with Victor and Zoey’s stories are those of fellow players on the city’s media scene, including a publicist for a vapid pop star, a nepo-baby podcaster, and a downtown influencer-novelist.
—airmail.news, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vapid
Cite this Entry
“Vapid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vapid. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share