fatuous

American  

[fach-oo-uhs] / ˈfætʃ u əs /

adjective

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

   Synonyms:

   dull-witted, dull, dense, dim, brainless

2. Archaic. unreal; illusory.

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fatuous British  

/ ˈfætjʊəs /

adjective

1. complacently or inanely foolish

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• fatuously adverb
• fatuousness noun

Etymology

Origin of fatuous

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

Example Sentences

The concept is simple but wildly effective, with enough force to push the viewer past many of the film’s fatuous elements.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

But at least they made an attempt, however fatuous, to persuade the American people and the country’s international allies that there was a reason for doing so.

From Salon • Feb. 24, 2026

You’d be unwise to look to the movies for economic insight—this one amounts to an extended fatuous argument that an individual who behaved like a corporate restructuring would be a psychopath.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

The money he makes, running the farm with his unmarried niece, goes to support life in the city for his fatuous, gouty sort-of-ex-brother-in-law, an art professor who “knows nothing about art.”

From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2024

As she walked about the yellowing hillsides or worked at easy tasks, her lips were curled in a perpetual fatuous smile.

From "The Red Pony" by John Steinbeck