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flippant - 5 dictionary results

flip⋅pant

  [flip-uhnt]
Use flippant in a Sentence
–adjective
1. frivolously disrespectful, shallow, or lacking in seriousness; characterized by levity: The audience was shocked by his flippant remarks about patriotism.
2. Chiefly Dialect. nimble, limber, or pliant.
3. Archaic. glib; voluble.
Origin:
1595–1605; appar. flip 1 + -ant

Related forms:
flip⋅pan⋅cy, flip⋅pant⋅ness, noun
flip⋅pant⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. saucy, impertinent, impudent.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To flippant
flip·pant   (flĭp'ənt)   
adj.  
  1. Marked by disrespectful levity or casualness; pert.
  2. Archaic Talkative; voluble.

[Probably from flip.]
flip'pan·cy n., flip'pant·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Flippant

Flip"pant\, a. [Prov. E. flip to move nimbly; cf. W. llipa soft, limber, pliant, or Icel. fleipa to babble, prattle. Cf. Flip, Fillip, Flap, Flipper.]

1. Of smooth, fluent, and rapid speech; speaking with ease and rapidity; having a voluble tongue; talkative.

It becometh good men, in such cases, to be flippant and free in their speech. --Barrow.

2. Speaking fluently and confidently, without knowledge or consideration; empty; trifling; inconsiderate; pert; petulant. "Flippant epilogues." --Thomson.

To put flippant scorn to the blush. --I. Taylor.

A sort of flippant, vain discourse. --Burke.

Flippant

Flip"pant\, n. A flippant person. [R.] --Tennyson.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : flippant
Spanish: frívolo,
German: leichtfertig,
Japanese: 軽薄な
More Translations »

flippant 
"displaying unbecoming levity," 1605, apparently an extended form of flip (v.) (q.v.). Shortened form flip is attested from 1847.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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