jejune

American  

[ji-joon] / dʒɪˈdʒun /

adjective

1. without interest or significance; dull; insipid.

   a jejune novel.

2. juvenile; immature; childish.

   jejune behavior.

3. lacking knowledge or experience; uninformed.

   jejune attempts to design a house.

4. deficient or lacking in nutritive value.

   a jejune diet.

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jejune British  

/ dʒɪˈdʒuːn /

adjective

1. simple; naive; unsophisticated

2. insipid; dull; dry

3. lacking nourishment; insubstantial or barren

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Other Word Forms

• jejunely adverb
• jejuneness noun
• jejunity noun

Etymology

Origin of jejune

First recorded in 1605–15, jejune is from the Latin word jējūnus empty, poor, mean

Example Sentences

And to feel jejune if we slip from that lofty, arid plane to delight in something here and now.

From Washington Post • Mar. 31, 2023

For confirmation, take a gander at “Come Get Maggie,” a jejune musical by Diane Frolov and Susan Justin that is receiving its world premiere courtesy of Rogue Machine at the Matrix Theatre.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2023

“It’s a very unusual situation to have opposition research like that especially one that, on its face, had a number of clear mistakes and in a somewhat jejune analysis,” Barr said.

From Fox News • May 17, 2019

McCaskill deftly filleted Josh Hawley, who has been in his job since 2016, by implicitly contrasting her years of experience with his jejune overconfidence.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 22, 2018

Ben “Pimple-face” Meecham often acts jejune when he forces his charming sister to tell him the meaning of words.’”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy