Standard Lemma guide

flippancy

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈflɪ.pən.si/
  • US: /ˈflɪ.pɛn.si/
  • US: /ˈflɪ.pɛnt.si/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A disrespectful levity or pertness especially in respect to grave or sacred matters.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

inappropriate levity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • her mood changed and she was all lightness and joy

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: light-mindedness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: levity

History

Etymology

From flippant + -cy.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: непочтителност (nepočtitelnost) — disrespectful levity or pertness
  • Dutch: lichtzinnigheid — disrespectful levity or pertness
  • German: Leichfertigkeit — disrespectful levity or pertness
  • German: fehlende Ernsthaftigkeit — disrespectful levity or pertness
  • German: mangelnder Ernst — disrespectful levity or pertness
  • Irish: braise — disrespectful levity or pertness
  • Irish: braschaint — disrespectful levity or pertness
  • Irish: deiliús — disrespectful levity or pertness
  • Irish: fídireacht — disrespectful levity or pertness
  • Irish: soibealtacht — disrespectful levity or pertness
  • Portuguese: leviandade — disrespectful levity or pertness
  • Spanish: falta de seriedad — disrespectful levity or pertness