What does jejune mean?
Jejune is a formal adjective for writing, ideas, criticism, art, or plans that lack freshness, vitality, and intellectual substance. It carries the implication that something is not merely dull but somehow thin, stale, or insufficiently developed, often suggesting that it has borrowed familiar ideas without adding imagination or depth. The word is especially common in literary criticism, where a jejune novel or essay may be described as lacking energy, originality, or meaningful insight. Its older literal sense refers to food or nourishment that is meagre or inadequate, although this use is now relatively uncommon. Jejune can be more pointed than bland and more evaluative than dull: it often implies a failure of imagination or substance rather than simply an unexciting subject. For readers interested in precise vocabulary, jejune is useful because it captures a specific kind of artistic or intellectual thinness.
adjectiveJejune describes something lacking freshness, vitality, substance, or interest; it is often used of writing, ideas, criticism, or artistic work that seems thin, stale, or uninspiring.
- Lacking freshness, vitality, originality, or intellectual interest.
- Of food or nourishment: insufficient in substance or nourishment.
"The committee dismissed the proposal as a jejune attempt to address a complex social problem."
"Her novel was dismissed by some critics as jejune, offering little beyond a familiar account of the conflict."
"The expedition survived on a jejune diet of hard bread and dried fruit."
Jejune began by describing hunger: it ultimately comes from a Latin word meaning “empty” or “hungry,” before becoming a sharp criticism of thin writing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does jejune come from?
The English word entered usage in the early 17th century from French jejune, which was borrowed from Latin jejunus, meaning “hungry,” “empty,” or “lacking.” Latin jejunus is associated with jejunitas, a related noun meaning hunger, want, or lack. The word’s development from a physical sense of hunger or emptiness to a figurative sense of intellectual and artistic thinness reflects its long-standing association with deficiency.
Related word forms
How jejune is actually used
Jejune is formal and literary. In modern figurative use it is usually critical, suggesting that something is bland, intellectually thin, or unoriginal. Its older literal sense relating to inadequate nourishment is much less common.
Easily confused with jejune
Jejune means bland, thin, or lacking intellectual vitality, whereas juvenile means young or childish.