The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day is vapid. Read on for what it means, how it’s used, and more.

What It Means

Someone or something described as vapid is lacking in liveliness, force, or spirit. As such, vapid is often synonymous with dull or boring.

// Finn preferred to watch the game in silence, with the TV on mute, rather than listen to the vapid chatter of the play-by-play announcer.

VAPID in Context

“Demi Lovato stood beneath a spotlight Tuesday night, the steady chug of her electric guitar accompanying the superstar’s contemplation, which for most other artists might resemble vapid melodrama. But few have endured what Lovato has—and fewer have lived to sing the tale.” — Bobby Olivier, NJ.com, 19 Oct. 2022

Did You Know?

“Then away goes the brisk and pleasant Spirits and leave a vapid or sour Drink.” So wrote John Mortimer—an early 18th-century expert on agriculture, orchards, and cider-making—in his book on husbandry. His use was typical for his day, when vapid was often used specifically in reference to liquor. The term comes from Latin vapidus, meaning “flat-tasting,” a possible relative of vapor. That use still occurs today; you might, for example, hear an uninspiring wine described as vapid. More likely, however, you’ll hear vapid, along with the synonyms insipid, flat, and inane, describe people and things that are dull and boring, empty and insubstantial, or lacking spirit and character.

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