Does flippant Have a Positive or Negative Connotation?
Flippant is believed to come from flip, which, in turn, is a supposed imitation of the sound of something flipping. The earliest senses of the adjective are "nimble" and "limber." One can be flippant not only on one's feet but in speech—that is to say, their words flow easily. Such flippancy was considered a good thing at first; however, people who speak freely can sometimes seem too talkative, and even impertinent. The positive sense of flippant has slipped from use, but the "disrespectful" sense still flows.
As far as he was concerned, we were an unforgivably flippant bunch. Louche. Our shared political stance … struck him as pathetically naive.—Mordecai Richler, GQ, November 1997… although she is neither solemn nor pontifical, she may be the least flippant advice columnist in the business.—Ray Olson, Booklist, 1 May 1991Despite its flippant name, the Greed Index has proven a remarkably prescient barometer of the market during the past 16 years.—Richard E. Rustin, Wall Street Journal, 29 May 1984
He made a flippant response to a serious question.
his flippant comment that the poor save on taxes offended many people
Recent Examples on the WebOne person on the boat apologized, while a classmate brushed it off with a flippant response when Local 10 asked him about the incident.—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 3 May 2024 There’s certainly nuance to his malaise — a flippant bitterness buried under humor, occasionally alchemized into frustration — but lacking teeth until the script calls upon him to detonate.—Shania Russell, EW.com, 25 Apr. 2024 Virgo August 23 – September 22 Being too flippant regarding a serious matter could offend a companion of yours today.—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 5 Feb. 2024 Wilcox and Graves described it in interviews as a flippant comment, fired off in the heat of the moment.—Marilyn W. Thompson, ProPublica, 18 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for flippant
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flippant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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