Word of the Day

: December 14, 2021

flippant

adjective FLIP-unt

What It Means

Flippant means "lacking proper respect or seriousness."

// The coach made a flippant response to the media's questions about the unexpected loss.

See the entry >

flippant in Context

"Clearly, today's internet is unfathomably faster than it once was, but that raises an important question: Just how much internet speed do you actually need? The flippant answer is as much as you can get...." — Dave Johnson, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2021

Did You Know?

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.