fatuous
Complacently, pointlessly silly
Fatuous describes something foolish in a smug, complacent way—stupidity that doesn't know it's stupid.
A fatuous remark reveals the speaker's obliviousness to their own absurdity: He made fatuous comments about subjects he knew nothing about.
The word carries more contempt than simply calling something silly or foolish.
Lacking sense or meaning
- asinineExtremely foolish or stupid
- sillyFrivolous or absurd
- foolishLacking good sense
- nonsensicalWithout coherent meaning
senseless · harebrained · brainless · idiotic · imbecilic · moronic · witless · mindless
Empty of content
- shallowWithout much depth
- superficialLacking depth or substance
- vapidDull, without depth
- insipidWithout flavor or interest
bland · pointless · banal · trite · jejune · puerile · frivolous · flimsy
Completely contrary to reason
- ludicrousAbsurdly unreasonable or inappropriate
- ridiculousInviting scorn through absurdity
- laughableWorthy of derision
- farcicalAbsurdly comical or mockable
risible · outlandish · cockamamie · crackpot · hare-brained · half-baked · ill-conceived · wrongheaded
Uncritically self-satisfied
- self-satisfiedSmugly pleased with oneself
- smirkingSmiling with smugness
- pompousAffectedly grand in manner
- superciliousArrogantly contemptuous of others
self-important · overconfident · presumptuous · patronizing · self-congratulatory · pleased · unctuous · oily
inane
Lacking sense or meaning
nonsensical · senseless · harebrained · brainless · idiotic · imbecilic · moronic · witless · mindless · stupid
vacuous
Empty of content
- shallowWithout much depth
- superficialLacking depth or substance
- vapidDull, without depth
insipid · bland · pointless · banal · trite · jejune · puerile · frivolous · flimsy · substanceless
preposterous
Completely contrary to reason
- ludicrousAbsurdly unreasonable or inappropriate
- ridiculousInviting scorn through absurdity
- laughableWorthy of derision
farcical · risible · outlandish · cockamamie · crackpot · hare-brained · half-baked · ill-conceived · wrongheaded · unreasonable
complacent
Uncritically self-satisfied
- self-satisfiedSmugly pleased with oneself
- smirkingSmiling with smugness
- pompousAffectedly grand in manner
supercilious · self-important · overconfident · presumptuous · patronizing · self-congratulatory · pleased · unctuous · oily · smarmy
fatuousshrewd
Practically clever, perceptive
perceptive · insightful · aware · self-aware · discerning