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

Derived 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

Explanation

Use the adjective jejune to describe something that is uninteresting or insignificant. Many people claim to find celebrity gossip jejune, but ask them about a recent movie star scandal and chances are they know all about it. Jejune can also describe something that’s immature or simplistic. All that actress could say about her latest movie was that it was “Super fun”? That’s a pretty jejune comment. Basically jejune means lacking substance. It originally comes from the Latin word jejunus, which means “fasting,” so when something is jejune, it’s figuratively empty — devoid of intellectual nourishment.