fatuous

adjective

fat·u·ous ˈfa-chü-əs How to pronounce fatuous (audio)

-tyü-

: complacently or inanely foolish : silly

a fatuous remark

a fatuous socialite with a near-pathological love of parties and shopping

Janet Maslin

fatuously adverb

fatuousness noun

Did you know?

"I am two fools, I know, / For loving, and for saying so / In whining Poetry," wrote John Donne, simultaneously confessing to both infatuation and fatuousness. As any love-struck fool can attest, infatuation can make buffoons of the best of us. So it should come as no surprise that the words fatuous and infatuation derive from the same Latin root, fatuus, which means "foolish." Both terms have been part of English since the 17th century. Infatuation followed the earlier verb infatuate, a fatuus descendant that once meant "to make foolish" but that now usually means "to inspire with a foolish love or admiration."

Did you know?

What is the origin of infatuated?

When we speak of someone being infatuated it very often is in relationship to that person having seemingly taken leave of his or her senses, especially in a romantic context (“he was so infatuated that he could not remember what day of the week it was”). This is fitting, as the word shares an origin with the word fatuous, which means complacently or inanely foolish. Both words come from the Latin fatuus (“foolish”), although fatuous is not often used in the romantic contexts in which we find infatuate. When used with a preposition infatuated is typically followed by with.

Synonyms

airheaded
birdbrained
bonehead
boneheaded
brain-dead
brainless
bubbleheaded
chuckleheaded
dense
dim
dim-witted
doltish
dopey
dopy
dorky [slang]
dull
dumb
dunderheaded
empty-headed
gormless [chiefly British]
half-witted
knuckleheaded
lamebrain
lamebrained
lunkheaded
mindless
oafish
obtuse
opaque
pinheaded
senseless
simple
slow
slow-witted
soft
softheaded
stupid
thick
thick-witted
thickheaded
unintelligent
unsmart
vacuous
weak-minded
witless

See all Synonyms & Antonyms

Example Sentences

the fatuous questions that the audience members asked after the lecture suggested to the oceanographer that they had understood little ignoring the avalanche warnings, the fatuous skiers continued on their way down the trail

Recent Examples on the Web Bush in order to scare people with his fatuous Hitler analogy, and the peace camp in order to scare people with the prospect of heavy losses.

Christian Lorentzen, Harper’s Magazine , 20 July 2022 Director Angus MacLane follows orders like a toy soldier, repeating Toy Story’s fatuous tone in the way Buzz (now voiced by Chris Evans) accentuates the goofy hollow heroism.

Armond White, National Review, 17 June 2022 His play, which might have been smashed by the insensitive or botched by the fatuous, has fallen into expert hands.

Claudia Cassidy, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2022 Her involvement personalizes developments that are otherwise divided in collective memory between arid art history and fatuous mythologizing.

Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2022 Un chant d’amour, a film the Moonlight generation knows nothing about but that Meise relates to for its individual morality — a lost idea in this era of fatuous political conformity.

Armond White, National Review, 11 Mar. 2022 Russian President Vladimir Putin and his mouthpieces are weaving the most audacious and fatuous alternative reality surrounding any 21st-century conflict -- one that renders current diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war meaningless and futile.

Stephen Collinson, CNN, 11 Mar. 2022 Al Qaeda was a relatively minor threat magnified into an existential menace, including by intellectuals conversant in fatuous historical analogies.

Jordan Michael Smith, The New Republic, 10 Mar. 2022 Belgian detective, was delightfully fatuous in his enchantment with his own intellect.

Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 10 Feb. 2022 See More

fatuous

adjective

as in stupid

not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily the fatuous questions that the audience members asked after the lecture suggested to the oceanographer that they had understood little

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

stupid
dumb
simple
slow
idiotic
foolish
vacuous
thick
dull
ignorant
silly
dense
doltish
obtuse
dopey
witless
dunderheaded
unreasonable
unintelligent
lamebrain
irrational
mindless
boneheaded
thickheaded
senseless
oafish
gormless
pinheaded
brainless
empty-headed
airheaded
softheaded
soft
moronic
insane
dorky
dim
opaque
bonehead
mad
absurd
chuckleheaded
dim-witted
half-witted
lamebrained
crazy
thick-witted
idiotical
knuckleheaded
bubbleheaded
brain-dead
lunkheaded
cretinous
dopy
unsmart
imbecile
lunatic
weak-minded
simpleminded
slow-witted
birdbrained
nonsensical
fool
preposterous
unintellectual
asinine
unthinking
feebleminded
uninformed
daft
illogical
imbecilic
uneducated
zany
fallacious
looney
unwise
loony
lowbrow
harebrained
illiterate
dippy
wacky
invalid
tomfool
sappy
untaught
nutty
crackpot
kooky
daffy
screwball
dotty
cuckoo
half-baked
whacky
cockeyed
balmy
boobish
kookie
featherheaded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

brilliant
clever
intelligent
ingenious
quick
apt
bright
smart
acute
brainy
sharp
keen
insightful
wise
sagacious
astute
fast
nimble
intellectual
resourceful
erudite
perceptive
thinking
cerebral
savvy
keen
scholarly
knowledgeable
knowing
sharp-witted
perspicacious
quick-witted
sage
shrewd
discerning
reasonable
literate
sensible
supersmart
cunning
learned
skilled
wily
ultrasmart
highbrow
hyperintelligent
informed
educated
sound
logical
rational
valid
prudent
trained
crafty
percipient
sapient
judicious
sane
well-read
foxy
schooled

as in absurd

showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment ignoring the avalanche warnings, the fatuous skiers continued on their way down the trail

Synonyms & Similar Words

absurd
silly
stupid
foolish
idiotic
mad
crazy
insane
lunatic
ridiculous
irrational
nonsensical
preposterous
asinine
daft
fool
dumb
witless
simple
zany
unreasonable
unwise
simpleminded
loony
harebrained
inept
dippy
senseless
wacky
idiotical
weak
moronic
brainless
tomfool
sappy
nutty
crackpot
kooky
daffy
screwball
dotty
vacuous
unreasoning
half-witted
half-baked
whacky
cuckoo
thoughtless
looney
slow
ludicrous
bubbleheaded
imbecile
doltish
lunkheaded
jerky
obtuse
illogical
unreasoned
cockeyed
balmy
dopey
laughable
fallacious
dunderheaded
farcical
weak-minded
clueless
unintelligent
lamebrain
kookie
mindless
dull
thickheaded
oafish
dense
gormless
pinheaded
imbecilic
empty-headed
airheaded
softheaded
feebleminded
invalid
featherheaded
dim
dorky
out to lunch
opaque
dim-witted
chuckleheaded
lamebrained
clownish
unsound
soft
surd
thick
knuckleheaded
buffoonish
brain-dead
nonrational
dopy
notional
slow-witted
birdbrained
unconsidered
ill-advised
chowderheaded
boobish

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sensible
sagacious
wise
clever
prudent
sound
reasonable
sane
judicious
intelligent
rational
logical
smart
bright
valid
sage
brainy
sapient
well-advised

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of fatuous are asinine, foolish, silly, and simple. While all these words mean "actually or apparently deficient in intelligence," fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality.

fatuous conspiracy theories

In some situations, the words asinine and fatuous are roughly equivalent. However, asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception.

an asinine plot

Although the words foolish and fatuous have much in common, foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense.

foolish stunts

While in some cases nearly identical to fatuous, silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior.

the silly antics of revelers

The words simple and fatuous can be used in similar contexts, but simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort.

considered people simple who had trouble with computers

单词	fatuous
释义	fatuous adjective fat·u·ous ˈfa-chü-əs -tyü- : complacently or inanely foolish : silly a fatuous remark a fatuous socialite with a near-pathological love of parties and shopping Janet Maslin fatuously adverb fatuousness noun Did you know? "I am two fools, I know, / For loving, and for saying so / In whining Poetry," wrote John Donne, simultaneously confessing to both infatuation and fatuousness. As any love-struck fool can attest, infatuation can make buffoons of the best of us. So it should come as no surprise that the words fatuous and infatuation derive from the same Latin root, fatuus, which means "foolish." Both terms have been part of English since the 17th century. Infatuation followed the earlier verb infatuate, a fatuus descendant that once meant "to make foolish" but that now usually means "to inspire with a foolish love or admiration." Did you know? What is the origin of infatuated? When we speak of someone being infatuated it very often is in relationship to that person having seemingly taken leave of his or her senses, especially in a romantic context (“he was so infatuated that he could not remember what day of the week it was”). This is fitting, as the word shares an origin with the word fatuous, which means complacently or inanely foolish. Both words come from the Latin fatuus (“foolish”), although fatuous is not often used in the romantic contexts in which we find infatuate. When used with a preposition infatuated is typically followed by with. Synonyms airheaded birdbrained bonehead boneheaded brain-dead brainless bubbleheaded chuckleheaded dense dim dim-witted doltish dopey dopy dorky [slang] dull dumb dunderheaded empty-headed gormless [chiefly British] half-witted knuckleheaded lamebrain lamebrained lunkheaded mindless oafish obtuse opaque pinheaded senseless simple slow slow-witted soft softheaded stupid thick thick-witted thickheaded unintelligent unsmart vacuous weak-minded witless See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences the fatuous questions that the audience members asked after the lecture suggested to the oceanographer that they had understood little ignoring the avalanche warnings, the fatuous skiers continued on their way down the trail Recent Examples on the Web Bush in order to scare people with his fatuous Hitler analogy, and the peace camp in order to scare people with the prospect of heavy losses. Christian Lorentzen, Harper’s Magazine , 20 July 2022 Director Angus MacLane follows orders like a toy soldier, repeating Toy Story’s fatuous tone in the way Buzz (now voiced by Chris Evans) accentuates the goofy hollow heroism. Armond White, National Review, 17 June 2022 His play, which might have been smashed by the insensitive or botched by the fatuous, has fallen into expert hands. Claudia Cassidy, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2022 Her involvement personalizes developments that are otherwise divided in collective memory between arid art history and fatuous mythologizing. Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2022 Un chant d’amour, a film the Moonlight generation knows nothing about but that Meise relates to for its individual morality — a lost idea in this era of fatuous political conformity. Armond White, National Review, 11 Mar. 2022 Russian President Vladimir Putin and his mouthpieces are weaving the most audacious and fatuous alternative reality surrounding any 21st-century conflict -- one that renders current diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war meaningless and futile. Stephen Collinson, CNN, 11 Mar. 2022 Al Qaeda was a relatively minor threat magnified into an existential menace, including by intellectuals conversant in fatuous historical analogies. Jordan Michael Smith, The New Republic, 10 Mar. 2022 Belgian detective, was delightfully fatuous in his enchantment with his own intellect. Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 10 Feb. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Latin fatuus foolish First Known Use 1633, in the meaning defined above fatuous adjective 1 as in stupid not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily the fatuous questions that the audience members asked after the lecture suggested to the oceanographer that they had understood little Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance stupid dumb simple slow idiotic foolish vacuous thick dull ignorant silly dense doltish obtuse dopey witless dunderheaded unreasonable unintelligent lamebrain irrational mindless boneheaded thickheaded senseless oafish gormless pinheaded brainless empty-headed airheaded softheaded soft moronic insane dorky dim opaque bonehead mad absurd chuckleheaded dim-witted half-witted lamebrained crazy thick-witted idiotical knuckleheaded bubbleheaded brain-dead lunkheaded cretinous dopy unsmart imbecile lunatic weak-minded simpleminded slow-witted birdbrained nonsensical fool preposterous unintellectual asinine unthinking feebleminded uninformed daft illogical imbecilic uneducated zany fallacious looney unwise loony lowbrow harebrained illiterate dippy wacky invalid tomfool sappy untaught nutty crackpot kooky daffy screwball dotty cuckoo half-baked whacky cockeyed balmy boobish kookie featherheaded Antonyms & Near Antonyms brilliant clever intelligent ingenious quick apt bright smart acute brainy sharp keen insightful wise sagacious astute fast nimble intellectual resourceful erudite perceptive thinking cerebral savvy keen scholarly knowledgeable knowing sharp-witted perspicacious quick-witted sage shrewd discerning reasonable literate sensible supersmart cunning learned skilled wily ultrasmart highbrow hyperintelligent informed educated sound logical rational valid prudent trained crafty percipient sapient judicious sane well-read foxy schooled See More 2 as in absurd showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment ignoring the avalanche warnings, the fatuous skiers continued on their way down the trail Synonyms & Similar Words absurd silly stupid foolish idiotic mad crazy insane lunatic ridiculous irrational nonsensical preposterous asinine daft fool dumb witless simple zany unreasonable unwise simpleminded loony harebrained inept dippy senseless wacky idiotical weak moronic brainless tomfool sappy nutty crackpot kooky daffy screwball dotty vacuous unreasoning half-witted half-baked whacky cuckoo thoughtless looney slow ludicrous bubbleheaded imbecile doltish lunkheaded jerky obtuse illogical unreasoned cockeyed balmy dopey laughable fallacious dunderheaded farcical weak-minded clueless unintelligent lamebrain kookie mindless dull thickheaded oafish dense gormless pinheaded imbecilic empty-headed airheaded softheaded feebleminded invalid featherheaded dim dorky out to lunch opaque dim-witted chuckleheaded lamebrained clownish unsound soft surd thick knuckleheaded buffoonish brain-dead nonrational dopy notional slow-witted birdbrained unconsidered ill-advised chowderheaded boobish Antonyms & Near Antonyms sensible sagacious wise clever prudent sound reasonable sane judicious intelligent rational logical smart bright valid sage brainy sapient well-advised See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of fatuous are asinine, foolish, silly, and simple. While all these words mean "actually or apparently deficient in intelligence," fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality. fatuous conspiracy theories In some situations, the words asinine and fatuous are roughly equivalent. However, asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception. an asinine plot Although the words foolish and fatuous have much in common, foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense. foolish stunts While in some cases nearly identical to fatuous, silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior. the silly antics of revelers The words simple and fatuous can be used in similar contexts, but simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort. considered people simple who had trouble with computers
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fatuous

adjective

Did you know?

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

adjective

Synonym Chooser