fatuously
1
9.2
- adverb
- /ˈfæʧuəsli/
- Offensive
:
fatuamente
- John Maynard Keynes, that most present-minded of all great economists, fatuously said, "In the long run, we are all dead."
- smile fatuously
- fatuously said
Examples
-
In 1787, Noah Webster, the dictionary author and political writer, declared fatuously that America is "an empire of reason."
Academic text (2009) -
So I grinned fatuously and poured her some coffee.
Fiction book (1997) -
But we adults hear fatuously.
Academic text (1994) -
Emerson fatuously distinguished between the party of memory and the party of hope.
Academic text (1996) -
When people talk, usually fatuously, about the moral support lent by formal ceremonies such as this, what they often think they mean, of course, is that such occasions confirm the efficacy of shared values.
Fiction book (1995) -
You saw in the '70s and '80s a whole series of courts in the United States, most fatuously the 9th Circuit in the Timberlane cases, but there are a couple of cases involving Canada.
Academic text (1994) -
The markets and financial media oscillate between what is fatuously described as 'risk on' euphoria, boosted by the delivery or expectation of central bank money printing, and 'risk off' despair, as the underlying health of the economy and financial system inevitably reveals itself.
Blog text (18) -
" And you find protestations and pleadings are no use? " he said fatuously, hating having to be so false to the understanding, even the empathy he felt.
Fiction book (1990) -
He smiled fatuously during the serious meeting, unaware of the gravity of the discussion.
-
She made a fatuously optimistic remark about the project's success, ignoring all the warnings.
Synonyms
28
2.8
In a way that shows poor judgment
24
3.0
In a way that shows bad judgment or not being smart
5
4.1
In a way that shows poor judgment
3
6.3
In a very foolish way that shows bad judgment
1
7.3
In a silly way that has no real purpose
1
7.0
Acting without thinking
1
7.6
In a very foolish way that shows little sense
1
7.5
Without thinking and showing little care for others
1
8.4
Acts without thought or understanding
1
8.0
In a slow way that does not show understanding or care
In a way that shows poor thinking or little care
In a way that shows little thought or understanding
In a foolish way without much thought
In a foolish way to make people laugh
Behave in a silly, foolish way that seems a bit crazy
Antonyms
How Foolish
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Fatuously comes from the old Latin word fatuus, which means 'foolish'. You can see the same root in infatuated, which comes from a verb meaning 'to make foolish', so fatuously means doing something in a silly, stupid way, often without thinking.