Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

flippant

/ˈflɪp.ənt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.59 in modern English

Syllables: flip-pant
IPA: /ˈflɪp.ənt/

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Showing disrespect through a casual attitude, levity, and a lack of due seriousness; pert.

adj

Loquacious; speaking with ease and rapidity.

Archaic

adj

Nimble; limber.

Example Sentences

"a sort of flippant, vain discourse"
"The conversations had grown more adult over the years—she was less flippant, at least."
"In the mid-1950s we both wrote for the same weekly, where her contributions were a good deal more serious and less flippant than mine."
"Our society treats smoking flippantly as a slightly distasteful habit that can injure your health. It is not. It is drug addiction."
"November 5, 1673, Isaac Barrow, sermon on the Gunpowder Treason It becometh good men, in such cases, to be pleasantly flippant and free in their speech."

Etymology

1595, from Northern English dialectal flippand (“prattling, babbling, glib”), present participle of flip (“to babble”), of North Germanic origin. Cognate with Icelandic fleipa (“to babble, prattle”), Swedish dialectal flepa (“to talk nonsense”). Alteration of -and suffix (a variant of the participial -ing) to -ant probably due to influence from words in -ant.

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈflɪp.ənt/
British English: /ˈflɪp.ənt/

Usage

Archaic

Inflected Forms

more flippant (comparative) most flippant (superlative)

Derived Forms

flippancy flippantly flippantness unflippant

Frequently Paired Words

irreverent pert facetious frivolous

Synonyms

light-minded

Antonyms

serious

Questions

How do you pronounce flippant?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈflɪp.ənt/.
What does flippant mean?: Showing disrespect through a casual attitude, levity, and a lack of due seriousness; pert.
Where does flippant come from?: 1595, from Northern English dialectal flippand (“prattling, babbling, glib”), present participle of flip (“to babble”), of North Germanic origin. Cognate with Icelandic fleipa (“to babble, prattle”), Swedish dialectal flepa (“to talk nonsense”). Alteration of -and suffix (a variant of the participial -ing) to -ant probably due to influence from words in -ant.

How to pronounce flippant

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