facetious — treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant
Pronunciation (IPA): /fəˈsiːʃəs/
Example Sentences
- Don't be facetious - this is a serious meeting about budget cuts.
- When the teacher asked who broke the window, Tom gave a facetious reply: 'Maybe it was the wind's fault for being too strong.'
- Her facetious suggestion to solve world hunger by 'just ordering more pizza' showed her lack of understanding.
facetious
ADJECTIVE[/fəˈsiːʃəs/]
treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant
Inappropriate humor at serious moments
Face goes 'shush' — flippant jokes at serious times!
His specious words mock what's truly precious - turning serious matters facetious.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin 'facetia' meaning 'a joke' or 'witticism', derived from 'facetus' meaning 'witty' or 'elegant'. The suffix '-ous' was added to form an adjective.
Breakdown
facet- (from Latin facetia, wit/joke) + -ious (adjective suffix meaning 'full of') = facetious (full of inappropriate wit or flippancy)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Don't be facetious - this is a serious meeting about budget cuts.”
“When the teacher asked who broke the window, Tom gave a facetious reply: 'Maybe it was the wind's fault for being too strong.'”
“Her facetious suggestion to solve world hunger by 'just ordering more pizza' showed her lack of understanding.”
“The politician's facetious response to the crisis only made voters more angry.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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