platitudinous

adjective

Definition of platitudinousnext
as in bromidic

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of platitudinous For now, Chow himself might cop to the platitudinous quality of his own descriptions. — John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 These meager efforts to humanize them further in a couple shots does little to improve their platitudinous conception. — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024 Image Image Today there is an address, probably platitudinous, in which a politician or pop star delivers some variation of the liberal democratic gospel. — Jason Farago, New York Times, 23 May 2024 But that platitudinous jumble seems like an afterthought, an attempt to add thematic complexity to an American crime footnote rendered perplexingly dull. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for platitudinous
  1. unimaginative
  2. banal
  3. trite
  4. conventional
  5. platitudinal
  6. hackneyed
  7. unoriginal
Adjective
  • Spurs kept a clean sheet, an achievement to build on after shipping five in their opening two, and looked solid, if a little unimaginative in midfield.
    — Elias Burke, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Some critics described him as unimaginative but capable, and he was criticized for extending the defense of Bakhmut at great human cost.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Definition of unimaginative
Adjective
  • The tense and agonizing switch is a pure state of melodrama, a transcendent form of tragedy striking in the banal core of workaday society.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Its point was not that evil is banal, but rather that those who perpetrate it are.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of banal
Adjective
  • Much of the advice for making friends can feel silly or trite, but focusing on three areas may make a significant impact on your social situation.
    — Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • What elevates these numbers too is the sharp writing, which strikes that balance between being pithy enough to be memorable without being trite.
    — Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of trite
Adjective
  • Aside from its visual distinctiveness, red diesel shares an identical chemical composition with conventional highway diesel.
    — , CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The capability needed to run AI at studio level will not be found solely within the conventional media and entertainment system.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of conventional
Adjective
  • Callie seems to be anticipating—or demanding—some soothing, platitudinal advice.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 5 Sep. 2021
  • There is a prescient, pitch-perfect satire of the superficiality and platitudinal meaninglessness of modern life.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2021
Definition of platitudinal
Adjective
  • There’s some hackneyed dialogue, much of it borne by Neeson, who despite his prominence in advertising gets sidelined for most of the running time.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Maybe so, but think of how badly Congress had stated those hackneyed ideas.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
Definition of hackneyed
Adjective
  • Summary Leaders are increasingly sounding generic, often using similar buzzwords, a trend exacerbated by AI's ability to generate competent but unoriginal communication.
    — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • No moral panic is more unoriginal than the fear that contemporary men are no longer as manly as the heroes who preceded them.
    — Elizabeth Dray, STAT, 21 July 2026
Definition of unoriginal

Browse Nearby Words

platitudinizing
platitudinous
platonic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Platitudinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/platitudinous. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All