Facetious | Meaning, Definition & Examples
The adjective facetious means “humorous in an inappropriate way or at an inappropriate time.” It is often used to criticize someone or something (e.g., to say that a person is treating a serious issue in an unserious way).
It is also used less critically to mean “funny and not serious.”
You don’t really mean that, do you? You’re just being facetious, right?
I love to read her newspaper columns; they’re just so wonderfully facetious.
Facetious vs sarcastic
If someone is being facetious, they are being humorous but in an inappropriate way or at an inappropriate time. But if someone is being sarcastic, they are saying the opposite of what they actually mean in order to make fun of or insult someone or something.
To be clear, I was just being sarcastic. Of course I don’t really think that it’s a good idea.
Facetiousness
The word facetiousness is a noun that refers to the state of being unserious about something because you are trying to be humorous.
It can be used to criticize a person’s behavior or character (e.g., because you think it is inappropriate to joke about a topic in a certain situation).
But you can also use it in a positive sense (e.g., to describe a person’s sense of humor).
“Yes!” she replied with a characteristic facetiousness that raised a few smiles in the room.
Frequently asked questions about facetious
- What does facitious mean?
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“Facitious” is a common misspelling of the adjective facetious.
If you are being facetious, you are being unserious about something because you are trying to be humorous in a way that is normally considered inappropriate.
The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help ensure that your writing is free of spelling errors.
- What does fascitious mean?
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“Fascitious” is a common misspelling of the adjective facetious.
If you are being facetious, you are being unserious about something because you are trying to be humorous in a way that is normally considered inappropriate.
The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help ensure that your writing is free of spelling errors.
- How do you pronounce facetious?
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The word facetious is split into three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable: [fa-ce-tious].
The second syllable is pronounced like the word “see.”
The third syllable is pronounced like the final syllable of the word “delicious.”