Flippant: Definition & Meaning for the SAT

When someone's being FLIPPANT, they're treating serious matters with inappropriate lightness. It's like bringing a whoopee cushion to a funeral – not cool, bruh.

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Hey there, word wizard!

Let's learn flippant, which is an upper-medium difficulty word. It's a word that perfectly captures that eye-rolling, smart-alecky attitude that can get you in trouble.

ℹ️ Part of speech of flippant

flippant is an ADJECTIVE.

🗣️ Pronunciation of flippant

flippant is pronounced /ˈflɪ.pənt/ or FLIH-puhnt.

📚️ Definition of flippant

flippant means lacking proper respect or seriousness, especially in situations that call for it. Example: a flippant response to a serious question.

📰 Examples

Here are some examples of flippant:

• Mei's flippant attitude during her job interview cost her the position, despite her impressive qualifications.

• The politician's flippant social media post about the cause of the natural disaster was quickly deleted after public backlash.

• Rashid regretted his flippant comment about his grandmother's cooking when he saw the hurt look on her face.

🧠 Quick vocab quiz on flippant

Test yourself!

A flippant remark is most likely to be

(A) deeply thoughtful.
(B) disrespectfully casual.
(C) extremely formal.
(D) scientifically accurate.
(E) emotionally sensitive.

And one more:

Which of the following situations would most likely be described as flippant?

(A) A student carefully proofreading their essay before submitting it.
(B) A doctor patiently explaining a diagnosis to a worried patient.
(C) A teenager saying "whatever" and shrugging when their parent discusses their poor grades.
(D) A firefighter meticulously checking their equipment before a shift.
(E) A chef precisely measuring ingredients for a complex recipe.

Scroll down for the answer/s.

💁🏼 Tips on using the word flippant correctly

Being flippant isn't just about being casual or informal. It specifically refers to showing a lack of respect or seriousness in situations where it's inappropriate. It's often used to describe speech or behavior that's seen as insensitive or dismissive in serious contexts.

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✅ Quiz answer/s

Answers:

• B, disrespectfully casual.

• C, A teenager saying "whatever" and shrugging when their parent discusses their poor grades.

That's a wrap on today's SAT word! Please share it with your study buddies or drop a comment below. Keep expanding that vocabulary!

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