This guide will help you discover the meaning of facetious, the word’s origins, examples, synonyms, antonyms, and how to use it appropriately.
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Kevin
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January 17, 2022
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If you’ve ever been prone to joking around more than others or you’re a bit more sarcastic than the next person, you may have been called facetious. If you’re not sure what facetious means, you may not know if you should be offended or flattered.
What Is the Definition of Facetious?
According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English language, fifth edition, facetious (adj) is an adjective that means playfully jocular or humorous.
According to the English dictionary, facetious is the root word of the adverb facetiously (adv.), which means joking or meant to be humorous.
Facetious is also the root word of the noun facetiousness (n) which means the state of being facetious. It could also be described as the act of trying to be funny.
Facetious is pronounced fa-ce-tious and would be heard as fuh-see-shus.
Here are a couple of examples of using facetious in a sentence as an adjective and as the root word in the noun facetiousness and the adverb facetiously.
- Lewis Black’s adoring stans love his facetious comments.
- My fourth-grade teacher didn’t seem to appreciate my facetiousness.
- Preston facetiously stated that she would love to go out despite her anxiety.
What Is the Origin of Facetious?
Everything in our languages has a history or a family word tree. You can trace just about any word back to an older word. Etymology is the study of the origin of words, and it’s interesting to see why words are spelled a certain way or to see how people at a different point in time might convey intentions similar to our own.
The etymology of facetious tells us that facetious, as we use it to mean witty or amusing, has been used that way since about the 16th century. Before that, the word was old French facetieux.
French facétieux also means jovial, and it can be traced back to the Middle French word facétie. Facetime or facetiae comes from two Latin words. Latin facētia and facētus are the deepest known roots for the word facetious. In Latin facetia means jest, and facetus means witty.
Unlike many words, facetious hasn’t morphed or changed much from its origin’s meaning. Facetious is still used to describe a person who has a love of joking, and a witty comment is referred to as a facetious remark.
Another way to understand words is to look at the various parts of the word.
Facetious:
- Fa – this prefix has Greek and Latin roots that mean say or speak
- Ce – helps indicate the French origins of facetious
- Ious – this a suffix typically changes a word to be an adjective
How Do You Use the Word Facetious?
Humans love humor. Sometimes we find humor in truth even if the intention was sincere.
For example, in a 2006 Fermilab newsletter, a rather facetious report documented a family of raccoons attacking their Linac gallery that forced operators at the facility to fight back. A particularly facetious remark was made about the raccoons coming back to the facility later to launch a counterattack. While the incident did actually occur, the witty phrasing made it an even funnier story.
The word facetious is not always received as a complimentary word. It is sometimes viewed in a negative context. For example, occasionally, a facetious story will be told at an inappropriate time. While it is told in good humor, the person’s wit cuts rather than soothes the way laughter is meant to do.
Telling a facetious story that is considered to be inappropriate humor can cause tense situations and lose the playful effect. Some topics that could indicate to others a levity of attitude and lead to what is considered a tasteless remark would be:
- Famine
- The opioid, heroin, and fentanyl crisis
- Any grim reality
- Taboos
Inappropriate humor and humor that has inappropriate timing may not have the playful effect that typical joking would have.
Facetious comments can also occur when the speaker uses sarcasm in a jocular way. A joke delivered with a dry wit can lose some of its pleasantries. It’s best to know your audience and monitor your delivery when attempting to be facetious.
Obviously, not all sarcastic comments will be facetious, and likewise, not all facetious comments will be sarcastic. However, the words are sometimes used interchangeably despite their different definitions.
What are the Synonyms of Facetious?
Synonyms help us to find new ways to say what we mean. You can avoid a redundant word when you can identify its synonyms. Here are some of the synonyms for facetious:
- Funny
- Witty
- Tongue-in-cheek
- Glib
- Flippant
- Joking
- Jocular
- Playful
- Impish
- Teasing
- Bantering
- Comical
Given the way facetious is sometimes used to indicate inappropriate humor, having a synonym for the word may help you to convey your message in its intended spirit.
What Are the Antonyms of Facetious?
Antonyms are a great way to express the opposite of a word. If something is not funny, you may need an antonym for facetious. Here are some antonym examples for facetious.
- Serious
- Glib
- Sober
- Solemn
- Somber
- Sincere
- Earnest
What Are Some Examples of Using Facetious?
Sometimes it helps to have an example of how to use a word in a sentence to help us know how to use it as well.
- The facetious remark went over so badly the room grew as quiet as a tomb.
- Charles’s facetious remark was not well received even though he thought his euphemism was hilarious.
- I was only being facetious. I didn’t mean it.
- It’s hard to take this facetious report seriously.
- The late bishop was known for his facetious comments that always lightened the mood.
- The facetious Laundrie caught on camera joking with cops did not age well.
- My facetious nature sometimes gets me in trouble in social settings.
- That witty saying always sounds so facetious when you say it.
Now that you know how to use facetious, you can impress all of your friends!
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