What does flippant mean?
Flippant is an adjective describing an attitude of inappropriate lightheartedness — treating serious subjects, questions, or people with a breezy lack of respect. Someone who answers a solemn question with a joke, or brushes off bad news with a shrug and a quip, may be called flippant. The word carries a strongly negative connotation: it implies not merely humor, but humor where earnestness is owed, and speakers use it to criticize what they see as careless or disrespectful behavior. Typical contexts include workplace discussions, courtroom settings, journalism, and everyday complaint ('Don't be flippant about this'). Its closest relatives include 'frivolous,' 'glib,' and 'irreverent,' though each shades differently: glib suggests smooth insincerity, irreverent can be playful or even admiring, while flippant is almost always a reproach. The word derives from an English verb root meaning to flip or toss, capturing the image of remarks tossed off without thought.
adjectiveNot showing a serious or respectful attitude; frivolously dismissive, especially about matters that deserve gravity or sincerity.
- Frivolously lacking seriousness or respect, especially toward serious subjects or people deserving consideration.
"Her flippant reply to the judge's question earned her a sharp reprimand."
"His flippant comment about the layoffs did not go over well with the team."
"The reviewer dismissed the novel in a flippant aside rather than engaging with its argument."
'Flippant' comes from an old word meaning to flip or toss — as if a careless remark were just flicked off the tongue.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of flippant
Flippant originated in England in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, formed from the older verb 'flip,' meaning to toss lightly or make a snapping motion. It first meant nimble or quick-moving before shifting by the mid-seventeenth century toward talkativeness and then toward the modern sense of unbecomingly frivolous. It belongs to the same word family as 'flip,' 'fillip,' and related Germanic terms denoting light, sudden movement.
Related word forms
How flippant is actually used
Almost always negative or critical in connotation — it describes behavior the speaker disapproves of, so calling someone flippant is itself rarely neutral. Common in formal and informal contexts alike when criticizing inappropriate levity.
Easily confused with flippant
'Glib' suggests smooth but insincere persuasiveness in speech, while 'flippant' stresses a lighthearted disrespect toward something serious.