a gossipy, vapid woman, obsessed by her own elegance R. F. Delderfield
London was not all vapid dissipation V. S. Pritchett
vapidlyadverb
vapidnessnoun
Did you know?
"Then away goes the brisk and pleasant Spirits and leave a vapid or sour Drink." So wrote John Mortimer—an early 18th-century expert on agriculture, orchards, and cider-making—in his book on husbandry. His use was typical for his day, when vapid was often used specifically in reference to liquor. The term comes from Latin vapidus, meaning "flat-tasting," a possible relative of vapor. That use still occurs today; you might, for example, hear an uninspiring wine described as vapid. More likely you'll hear vapid, along with the synonyms insipid, flat, and inane, describe people and things that lack spirit and character.
insipid implies a lack of sufficient taste or savor to please or interest.
an insipid romance with platitudes on every page
vapid suggests a lack of liveliness, force, or spirit.
an exciting story given a vapid treatment
flat applies to things that have lost their sparkle or zest.
although well-regarded in its day, the novel now seems flat
jejune suggests a lack of rewarding or satisfying substance.
a jejune and gassy speech
banal stresses the complete absence of freshness, novelty, or immediacy.
a banal tale of unrequited love
inane implies a lack of any significant or convincing quality.
an inane interpretation of the play
Example Sentences
Waiting rooms, as I'm sure you know, are small rooms with plenty of chairs for waiting, as well as piles of old, dull magazines to read and some vapid paintings … while you endure the boredom that doctors and dentists inflict on their patients before bringing them in to poke them and prod them and do all the miserable things that such people are paid to do. Lemony Snicket, The Ersatz Elevator, 2001In a secular age, symbolic rituals such as lighting the Olympic torch inevitably risk seeming a little vapid. Tony Perrottet, Civilization, June/July 2000… the incompetent servant, by whomsoever employed, is always against his employer. Even those born governors, noble and right honourable creatures, who have been the most imbecile in high places, have uniformly shown themselves the most opposed (sometimes in belying distrust, sometimes in vapid insolence) to THEIR employer. What is in such wise true of the public master and servant, is equally true of the private master and servant all the world over. Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friend, 1865 a song with vapid lyrics
Recent Examples on the WebNot Okay wastes no time telling us that its central character, a vapid Insta-famous charlatan named Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch), is a bad person. A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 27 July 2022 Sadly, this didn’t last long as Zayn chose his vapid loyalty to the Bloodline over his lifelong friendship with Sami Zayn. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 28 May 2022 Think: Tik Tok text quoting fictitious remarks from supporters of fast fashion, designed to dismiss commonly made arguments for fast fashion as ignorant and vapid. Marielle Elizabeth, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2022 Ordinarily Hollywood Romanticism tends to be vapid. Kyle Smith, National Review, 7 Mar. 2022 More, still, found the whole uproar to be vapid, if not absurd.Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2021 Back then, Cary’s hanging out with them as an attempt to boost his own profile led to degradation for all involved: These social-media models were shallow and vapid, but Cary, using them while holding them in contempt, was somehow worse. Daniel D'addario, Variety, 2 Sep. 2021 Tanya is too pitiable to die in a comedy; Mark is too vapid to go in a drama. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 11 July 2021 Once viewed by the media as a vapid heiress and socialite, Paris Hilton is now having a sort of Parissance in the public sphere. Natalie Morin, refinery29.com, 5 May 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
borrowed from Latin vapidus "(of wine) having lost freshness, flat"; akin to Latin vappa "wine that has gone flat" and perhaps to vapor "exhalation, steam" — more at vapor entry 1