vapid

Synonym Chooser

How is the word vapid distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of vapid are banal, flat, inane, insipid, and jejune. While all these words mean "devoid of qualities that make for spirit and character," vapid suggests a lack of liveliness, force, or spirit.

an exciting story given a vapid treatment

When can banal be used instead of vapid?

While in some cases nearly identical to vapid, banal stresses the complete absence of freshness, novelty, or immediacy.

a banal tale of unrequited love

When is flat a more appropriate choice than vapid?

Although the words flat and vapid have much in common, flat applies to things that have lost their sparkle or zest.

although well-regarded in its day, the novel now seems flat

When would inane be a good substitute for vapid?

The words inane and vapid can be used in similar contexts, but inane implies a lack of any significant or convincing quality.

an inane interpretation of the play

In what contexts can insipid take the place of vapid?

In some situations, the words insipid and vapid are roughly equivalent. However, insipid implies a lack of sufficient taste or savor to please or interest.

an insipid romance with platitudes on every page

Where would jejune be a reasonable alternative to vapid?

The meanings of jejune and vapid largely overlap; however, jejune suggests a lack of rewarding or satisfying substance.

a jejune and gassy speech

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of vapid Latinos in the New Millennium represents a potential antidote to this vapid discourse and a data-rich corrective to the stereotypes that too often define Hispanics in the United States. Ray Suarez, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2012 The modeling industry can seem vapid and filled with more cons than pros, but these models have been determined to change that with their entrepreneurial aspirations. Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 12 June 2024 Those are the kind of sentences that people will remember, unlike the vapid rhetoric of Joe Biden. Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2024 After traveling to Los Angeles for a seminar and getting roped into investigating a string of murders, the BAU gets a close look at just how vapid and violent Hollywood can be. EW.com, 6 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for vapid 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vapid
Adjective
  • But to play to that dichotomy is a tightrope walk: lean too far one way and Indy becomes boring, either as too normal or a superhero.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024
  • The idea was clear enough, and conceptual artists have been struggling ever since to make works that are not as boring as this one.
    Calvin Tomkins, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Wild Card with Rachel Martin Issa Rae on the belief that gets her through 'stupid mistakes and bad decisions' Lithgow: More.
    Rachel Martin, NPR, 8 Dec. 2024
  • For the people stupid enough to have trusted a midwit career bureaucrat as unscrupulous as President Joe Biden, there’s a sixth stage just before acceptance: delusion.
    Becket Adams, National Review, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The show skips across the decades, dramatizing the interviews an older Dolours (Maxine Peake) did for a Boston College oral history of the Troubles, which were taped with the promise that they would be released only after participants’ deaths.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
  • By contrast, the prospect of citizenships and alliances—and perhaps conquests or crusades—structured around the opinions, beliefs, and subjective identities of ordinary people in times of peace would require a new (or very old) conception of empire.
    Henry A. Kissinger, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • While congressional hearings are often dull set pieces, this one offered a remarkably lively and informative discussion of the practicalities and opportunities facing America regarding space resources.
    Greg Autry, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
  • For her, the glory of the honeymoon had been in the planning, the dreaming, the building up in her mind; what a letdown to find that Paris was just a place, that some days were full of chill gray drizzle, that the dull, thick bodies of other tourists blocked her from full joy.
    Lauren Groff, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The Wi-Fi will always be slow and the gossip will always be fast.
    Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Dec. 2024
  • Snow has been slow to arrive in Big Bear this year, but the long-term forecast calls for big changes.
    Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Popular Nail Polish Colors For Every Month 01 of 08 Short Nails Long nails have undeniably been the most popular nail length for the past five years—or perhaps more—however people seem to be tiring of the upkeep of long nails, no matter if natural or faux.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Parenting can be tiring but any mom or dad will tell you there are moments of magic sprinkled through every bit of the day-to-day grind.
    Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Sure, the challenges were a bit blah, but still, a rousing and triumphant success.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Offence is very blah Recent improvement from the power play has obscured the scoring struggles of this team at five-on-five.
    Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Android 15’s second beta release has other notable additions today that didn’t make it to the relatively pedestrian first release.
    Umar Shakir, The Verge, 15 May 2024
  • Yet New England's 14-2 record and a defense that allowed the league's fewest points were not necessarily indicative of true dominance, as the team displayed a pattern of frequently doing just enough to win, the average margin of victory a fairly pedestrian 10.3 points.
    Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024

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Thesaurus Entries Near vapid

Cite this Entry

“Vapid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vapid. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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