flippancy

noun

flip·​pan·​cy ˈfli-pən(t)-sē How to pronounce flippancy (audio)
plural flippancies
: unbecoming levity or pertness especially in respect to grave or sacred matters

Examples of flippancy in a Sentence

no one appreciates your flippancy during our religious services
Recent Examples on the Web But, as Marian wrote in a letter, Lewes’s flippancy masked great conscience and heart. James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023 Before the dominance of music streaming, fans could treat the coming and going of micro-genres with a jokey flippancy. Amos Barshad, WIRED, 29 Aug. 2023 Better to be careful than regret a moment of flippancy. Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2023 With the possible exception of Deadpool, no straight-as-an-arrow DC or Marvel superhero has exhibited this level of psycho flippancy, this antic dissociation from his own heroism. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 June 2023 The volatility of his behavior during the crucial weeks of February and March, when coherent action could have limited the subsequent loss of life—the veering between flippancy and rage, breezy denial and dark fear-mongering—may not seem to demand further explanation. Fintan O’Toole, The New York Review of Books, 14 May 2020 At times, Biden veered close to flippancy. BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2021 Craig doesn’t have the trademark Bond flippancy. Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 26 Apr. 2021 The line evokes the characteristic Irish flippancy about state authority and the recent past of the film’s setting — during Ireland’s civil war, which followed quickly on the Anglo–Irish War, in which attacks on policemen were routine. Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 13 Jan. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flippancy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flippancy was in 1746

Dictionary Entries Near flippancy

Cite this Entry

“Flippancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flippancy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flippancy

noun
flip·​pan·​cy ˈflip-ən-sē How to pronounce flippancy (audio)
plural flippancies
: an act or instance of being flippant
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