Make Your Point > Archived Issues > INSIPID
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If you've seen Idiocracy, you've seen the hilariously insipid Attorney General character:
Attorney General: So wait a minute. What you're saying is that you want us to put water on the crops.
Joe: Yes.
Attorney General: Water. Like out the toilet?
Insipid things and people are empty-headed: woefully lacking in taste, thought, or wisdom. So it won't surprise you to see that "insipid" comes from the Latin sapere, "to have taste, to have wisdom."
Sapere also gave us a synonym of "wisdom." People with sap___ce are wise; they can "taste" a situation through their perception and insight. Can you recall that word?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
make your point with...
"INSIPID"
In Latin, sapere means both "to have wisdom" and "to have taste."
Sapere gave us the rare English words "sipid" and "sapid." Something sipid or sapid can be tasted, or it has a nice, enjoyable taste. More figuratively, sipid or sapid things are enjoyed by the mind: they're in good taste, they're enjoyable intellectually, they're mentally "tasty."
The opposite of "sipid" in "insipid."
Literally insipid things are tasteless: you can't taste them. And figuratively insipid things (and people) are flavorless: they're as dull, empty, and boring as a food with no flavor or taste.
Pronunciation:
in SIP id
Part of speech:
Adjective: "this insipid wine," "this plotline is insipid."
Other forms:
insipidly, insipidness or insipidity ("IN sih PID ih tee")
How to use it:
Use the harsh, judgmental word "insipid" to emphasize how anything (or anyone) is utterly lacking in flavor, substance, excitement, importance, and impact.
You might talk about insipid mashed potatoes, insipid sitcom dialogue, the insipid stare of a store mannequin, the insipid tone of a form letter about overdue library books, or an hour of listening to some speaker PowerPoint-karaoke his way through sixty insipid slides.
examples:
"If the insipid talk shows don’t eat your brain, the food shows will."
— Chris Erskine, The Los Angeles Times, 11 March 2017
"'What Ruby said earlier,' she ventured. 'Do you feel that way, too?'
'Which part?' he asked. 'About the soup being insipid, or hell being interesting?'"
— Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer, 2017
has this page helped you understand "insipid"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "insipid" without saying "bland" or "dull."
try it out:
Fill in the blanks: "I realized how insipid _____ (was or were) only after (experiencing something wonderfully flavorful or interesting)."
Example: "I realized how insipid all those store-bought tomatoes were only after biting into a bright red one plucked straight from the garden."
before you review, play:
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
Our game this month is "Big Bang Thicket."
In each issue, hack your way through the polysyllabic title of an episode of The Big Bang Theory, and use your knowledge of vocabulary to answer the question about what happens in that episode.
From the previous issue:
In "The Tangible Affection Proof," do the couples break up with each other or give each other Valentine's Day gifts?
Answer:
They exchange the gifts. Tangible things, such as gifts, are able to be touched. That is, they're real and definite; you could poke them with your finger.
Try this one today:
In "The Romance Resonance," does Howard write and perform a song for his girlfriend or end their relationship suddenly to focus on work?
review this word:
1. A near opposite of INSIPID is
A. ROBUST.
B. POPULAR.
C. CHALLENGING.
2. In contrast to Romeo, Paris is insipid, _____.
A. a guaranteed provider of a safe, secure life
B. a polite, inoffensive man devoid of any personality
C. a man of morals who pursues Juliet in the traditional way
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
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Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
If you've seen Idiocracy, you've seen the hilariously insipid Attorney General character:
"INSIPID" In Latin, sapere means both "to have wisdom" and "to have taste."
"If the insipid talk shows don’t eat your brain, the food shows will."
Explain the meaning of "insipid" without saying "bland" or "dull."
Fill in the blanks: "I realized how insipid _____ (was or were) only after (experiencing something wonderfully flavorful or interesting)."
Spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—let your working memory empty out first.
1. A near opposite of INSIPID is
|