fatuous

[fach-oo-uhs]

adjective

1. foolish or inane, especially in an unconscious, complacent manner; silly; witless.

   Synonyms: dull-witted, dull, dense, dim, brainless

2. Archaic.,  unreal; illusory.

fatuous

/ ˈfætjʊəs /

adjective

1. complacently or inanely foolish

Other Word Forms

• fatuously adverb
• fatuousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fatuous¹

First recorded in 1625–35; from Latin fatuus “silly, foolish, idiotic”; -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of fatuous¹

C17: from Latin fatuus ; related to fatiscere to gape

Example Sentences

It’s fatuous nonsense, of course, but it does show that he understands tax cuts for the wealthy are not popular.

From Salon

On Monday, he repeated the fatuous nonsense he's spewed for ages:

From Salon

He also repeated his fatuous insistence that he could trust Putin because they had both been persecuted by the "Russia hoax," after which he proceeded to rant incoherently about Hunter Biden's bathroom.

From Salon

Wade' until he belatedly realized it wasn't popular, at which point he came up with his fatuous rationale that "everyone wanted it to go back to the states."

From Salon

And he has persuaded the official Republican Party, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, to parrot his fatuous disclaimer that he will accept it if it's "free and fair."

From Salon

When To Use

What are other ways to say fatuous?

The adjective fatuous describes people or things that are foolish or inane, especially in an unconscious, complacent manner. Do you know when to use fatuous, foolish, silly, inane, stupid, and asinine? Find out on Thesaurus.com.