insipid

See also: insípid

English

WOTD – 18 July 2010

Etymology

From French insipide, from Latin īnsipidus (tasteless), from in- (not) + sapidus (savory). In some senses, perhaps influenced by insipient (unwise, foolish, stupid).

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ɪnˈsɪp.ɪd/
  • (file)
  • (file)

Adjective

insipid (comparative more insipid, superlative most insipid)

  1. Unappetizingly flavorless.
    Synonyms: tasteless, bland, vapid, wearish
    The diners were disappointed with the plain, insipid soup they were served.
  2. Flat; lacking character or definition.
    Synonyms: boring, vacuous, dull, bland, characterless, colourless
    The textbook had a most insipid presentation of the controversy.
  3. (Can we verify(+) this sense?) Cloyingly sweet or sentimental.
    • 1972, Peter A. Tasch, The Dramatic Cobbler: The Life and Works of Isaac Bickerstaff, →ISBN, page 80:
      Sentiment, insipid sentiment, gives it what colouring it has.
    Synonyms: corny, fatuous
    Greeting cards contain some of the most insipid words ever written.

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Further reading

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.