fatuous Definition
fatu·ous (fac̸h′o̵̅o̅ əs)
adjective
- complacently stupid or inane; silly; foolish
- Archaic like an ignis fatuus; illusory; unreal
Etymology: L fatuus, foolish < IE base *bhāt-, to strike > batter
fatuous Related Forms
fat′u·ously adverb
fat′u·ous·ness noun
fatuous Synonyms
fatuous Usage Examples
Modifies a noun
- quot: For social security reform the fatuous quot which many thought placed underneath the.
- claim: Behind its fatuous claims of " managed migration " , the Government is starting to worry.
- comment: OK... I'll shuffle these topics around into some sort of order, with the bar-room arguments and fatuous comments at the bottom.
- idea: There are some fatuous ideas about how GA gets a free ride.
- question: The answers to each of these fatuous questions are of course it does not!
- argument: So I fail to see why you feel that it helps you to resort to such fatuous arguments.
Modifying Another Word
- rather: Then he turned his own rather fatuous face to the company.
- so: For all his limitations I cannot imagine Blair saying anything so fatuous.
- somewhat: Somewhat fatuous and hair brained, one is lost in its autonomous sangfroid.
- completely: In those circumstances, the idea that the US and the British are getting their hands on Iraqi oil is completely fatuous.
- totally: A totally fatuous and circular argument from an intellectually bankrupt philosophy.
- almost: Given what the NHS was, it is almost fatuous to say all the money has gone in, but nothing's happened.
Used with adjective complement

