vapid

See also: VAPID

English

WOTD – 16 November 2010

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Italic *kwapōs

Latin vapor

Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁-der.

Proto-Italic *-iðos

Latin -idus

Latin vapidusbor.

English vapid

Borrowed from Latin vapidus (“flat, vapid”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈvæp.ɪd/, /ˈveɪp.ɪd/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æpɪd

Adjective

vapid (comparative more vapid, superlative most vapid)

1. Offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging.
   • 1995, Steven Daly, Nathaniel Wice, “Koons, Jeff”, in alt.culture, New York: HarperPerennial, →ISBN:

     In Koons' best-known works—a life-sized poly-chromed wood replica of Michael Jackson and his pet chimp Bubbles; vapid fin de siècle readymades such as a trio of basketballs floating in a fishtank […]

2. Lifeless, dull, or banal.

   Synonyms: pedestrian, tedious; see also Thesaurus:boring, Thesaurus:soporific, Thesaurus:wearisome

   • 1857, Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, Volume the Second, →ISBN, page 30:

     Then there was a little more trite conversation between Mr. Arabin and Mr. Harding; trite, and hard, and vapid, and senseless.

3. Tasteless, bland, or insipid.

   Synonyms: flavorless, savorless, wearish; see also Thesaurus:insipid

Derived terms

• vapidism
• vapidity
• vapidly
• vapidness

Translations

lifeless, dull, or banal — see also lifeless,‎ banal

• Bulgarian: банален (bg) (banalen), изтъркан (bg) (iztărkan)
• Czech: vyčpělý, nezajímavý (cs), nezáživný (cs)
• Faroese: einkisigandi
• Finnish: mitäänsanomaton (fi), mielenkiinnoton, tympeä (fi)
• French: amorphe (fr), inintéressant (fr), insignifiant (fr), niais (fr), gourde (fr), terne (fr), bête (fr), couillon (fr), cucul (fr), cucul-la-praline (fr), mièvre (fr)
• Georgian: უშინაარსო (ušinaarso), მოსაწყენი (mosac̣q̇eni)
• German: nichtssagend (de), geistlos (de), flach (de), kraftlos (de)
• Italian: insulso (it), scialbo (it), banale (it), insignificante (it)
• Plautdietsch: fleiw
• Polish: bezbarwny (pl)
• Portuguese: insoso, insosso (pt), banal (pt)
• Romanian: banal (ro) m, plictisitor (ro) m, anost (ro) m, nesemnificativ (ro) m
• Russian: ску́чный (ru) (skúčnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: isprazan (sh), beznačajan (sh), banalan (sh), bezvezan (sh)
• Spanish: soso (es), insulso (es)
• Swedish: andefattig (sv), tråkig (sv)
• Walloon: tantaloye (wa)

tasteless, bland, or insipid — see also insipid

• Bulgarian: блудкав (bg) (bludkav), безвкусен (bg) (bezvkusen)
• Czech: nevýrazný, mdlý (cs), nemastný neslaný, nezajímavý (cs)
• Finnish: mitäänsanomaton (fi), valju (fi)
• French: insipide (fr), plat (fr), fade (fr), fadasse (fr)
• Georgian: უგემოვნო (ugemovno)
• German: fad (de), schal (de), flach (de)
• Ido: insipida (io)
• Italian: insipido (it), scialbo (it), scipito (it)
• Persian: لیوه (fa) (live)
• Plautdietsch: fleiw
• Polish: beztreściowy, beztreściwy
• Portuguese: insípido (pt)
• Romanian: insipid (ro) m, fad (ro) m
• Russian: безвку́сный (ru) (bezvkúsnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian: bezukusan (sh), bljutav (sh), neukusan (sh)
• Sicilian: dissàpitu (scn)
• Spanish: soso (es), insulso (es)
• Swedish: fadd (sv)

Anagrams

• pavid

Estonian

Noun

vapid

1. nominative plural of vapp