Words / C2

FACH-oo-uh-s/ˈfætʃuəs/

Fatuous means silly in a self-satisfied way (formal): a fatuous slogan, fatuous optimism. Stupid is rude and wide; fatuous stresses emptiness plus smugness. Fatuity is the rare noun. Famous is a lookalike only at a glance. Do not use fatuous for a genuine, humble mistake.

Meaning

Silly in a self-satisfied way, showing a lack of intelligence (formal).

Examples

• “The fatuous slogan promised “excellence” with no plan.”
• “The fatuous promise of “excellence for all” named no staff and no hours.”
• “A fatuous grin in the photograph did not match the redundancy notice.”

Good to know

Smugly silly (formal). Plain rude: stupid. Mix-up (lookalike): famous. Not an honest error.

Near in meaning

silly

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