SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS

flippancy

noun

An inappropriately light or disrespectful attitude toward a serious matter.

Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.

Inappropriate lightness

Closest synonyms

Related words and expressions

These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.

Usage distinction

Levity can be welcome in some settings; flippancy usually criticizes an unsuitable lack of seriousness.

Return to top
Test this word in the Comprehensive Synonym Exam

CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT

See flippancy in use

Her flippancy was out of place during the solemn announcement.
Dictionary practice example.
Your continued flippancy during this serious occasion is reprehensible.
From the original study notes.
1 more example
Later, a volunteer described losing several days of paid work because the installation date had changed. A joking reply struck the group as callous because it ignored the seriousness of her situation. The coordinator asked for less flippancy while they discussed the problem.
From The Tone of Leadership.

Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.

Synonym reference scope and sources

The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.

How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license

Back to synonym resultsOpen this word's definitionBoth dictionaries
Return to top