adjective
jejune
jih-JOON/dʒɪˈdʒuːn/
Insufficiently developed in thought or substance.
The student's jejune city model ignores how real neighborhoods work.
Etymology
Latin ieiunus meant “fasting, hungry” and also “empty, barren.” This physical emptiness became intellectual thinness: English first used jejune for what was dull or insipid, leading naturally to “lacking substance.”
More examples
- Her jejune proposal overlooks the basic costs of running a business.
- The essay offers jejune observations instead of careful analysis.
- He dismisses their concerns with a jejune remark about staying positive.
Forms
jejune
Similar words
- simplistic
- Emphasizes reducing a complex matter to an inadequate explanation.
- immature
- Emphasizes undeveloped judgment or behavior rather than thin substance.
- superficial
- Emphasizes attention to surface details rather than deeper understanding.