jejune

adj.

1. Not interesting; dull: “and there pour forth jejune words and useless empty phrases” (Anthony Trollope).
2. Lacking maturity; childish: surprised by their jejune responses to our problems.
3. Lacking in nutrition: a jejune diet.

[From Latin iēiūnus, meager, dry, fasting.]

jejunely je·june'ly adv.
jejuneness je·june'ness n.

In a new memoir, Sen. Robert Byrd attempts to erase the stain of his early involvement with the Ku Klux Klan:

"My only explanation for the entire episode is that I was sorely afflicted with tunnel vision — a jejune and immature outlook — seeing only what I wanted to see because I thought the Klan could provide an outlet for my talents and ambitions."

Link: A Senator's Shame

Posted June 20, 2005.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

adjective

Lacking the qualities requisite for spiritedness and originality: bland, innocuous, insipid, namby-pamby, vapid, washy, waterish, watery. Informal wishy-washy. See excite/bore/interest, good/bad.

IN BRIEF: Uninteresting and dull.

His jejune response indicated that he had no interest in the subject.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - naiv, kedelig, indholdsløs, tynd

Nederlands (Dutch)
naïef, saai, kinderachtig, vervelend, onvruchtbaar (land)

Français (French)
adj. - ennuyeux, plat

Deutsch (German)
adj. - geistlos, fade, unfruchtbar

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - (για συγγραφείς κ.λπ.) στείρος, βαρετός, πληκτικός

Italiano (Italian)
puerile, noioso, arido

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - desinteressante, imaturo

Русский (Russian)
скудный, скучный, легкомысленный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - árido, seco, inmaduro, aburrido, sin interés, poco alimenticio, estéril, insípido

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - torftig, mager, tunn, andefattig, innehållslös

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
贫弱的, 无味干燥的, 不毛的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 貧弱的, 無味乾燥的, 不毛的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 불모의, 빈약한, 미숙한, 무미 건조한, 배경 지식이 없는

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 貧弱な, 乏しい, 無味乾燥な, 未熟な, 子供っぽい

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) (محاضرة) تافهه, غير ممتعه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮ילדותי, לא מעניין, יבש, דל, זעום, רדוד (מבחינה אינטלקטואלית)‬

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