Make Your Point > Archived Issues > FATUOUS

Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.

"FATUOUS" Meaning: Someone or something fatuous is silly or stupid in an empty, thoughtless way. Pronunciation: FATCH you us Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like “large” or “late.” They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in “a fatuous comment.” 2. After a linking verb, as in "The comment was fatuous.”) Other forms: fatuously, fatuousness How to use it: It's an insult. Use it only as needed! If you must, talk about fatuous people, feelings, statements and responses, actions, behaviors, reasons, and so on. All that media attention is just fueling his fatuous narcissism. Maybe I used up all my patience in my twenties; I don't even find it necessary these days to acknowledge fatuous comments. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "fatuous" means when you can explain it without saying "dumb" or "inane." Think of a dumb idea that makes you roll your eyes, and fill in the blanks: "It's fatuous to (think/believe/assume) that _____." Example: "It's fatuous to assume that all members of a huge religion are just alike." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words: This month, we're sampling questions from Orijinz, an awesome series of games about the origins of words, phrases, and quotes. Click here if you want to check them out. Try a question here each day this month, and see the right answer the next day. Have fun! Yesterday's question: "Guess the fictional character [who spoke these lines]! 'The game is afoot.' 'It is my business to know what other people don’t know.' 'You see, but you do not observe.' '“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.' 'Elementary, my dear Watson.'*" Answer: "The fictional character is: Sherlock Holmes. *This exact phrase was spoken by Sherlock Holmes in movies but is not in any of Arthur Conan Doyle’s books.” Today's question: "Guess the word! Origin: From the Latin amare, 'to love.' They play for the love of the game. Definition: Non-professional athlete." A Point Well Made: George Bernard Shaw: “We have no more right to consume happiness without producing it than to consume wealth without producing it.” 1. The opposite of FATUOUS is A. KIND B. INTELLIGENT C. POLITE 2. After a long pause, her response to our question was still a fatuous _____ A. "Absolutely not." B. stare. C. and calculated evasion. Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. B Exploring the archives: I hesitate to select today's word. Most of the time, calling someone or something "fatuous" is just mean. Let's look at this word as having more use for reception than production--that is, if someone calls you fatuous, or if someone calls something else fatuous, you of course want to know exactly what that means, even if you never choose to use the word yourself. The same hesitance arose for me when I wrote about decerebrate, maladroit, and venal. Which one would you most resent being called?