vapid

comparative more vapid · superlative most vapid

1. Offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging.

   In Koons' best-known works—a life-sized poly-chromed wood replica of Michael Jackson and his pet chimp Bubbles; vapid fin de siècle readymades such as a trio of basketballs floating in a fishtank […]

   1995, Steven Daly, Nathaniel Wice, “Koons, Jeff”, in alt.culture, New York: HarperPerennial, →ISBN

2. Lifeless, dull, or banal.

   Then there was a little more trite conversation between Mr. Arabin and Mr. Harding; trite, and hard, and vapid, and senseless.

   1857, Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, Volume the Second, →ISBN, page 30

   Synonyms: pedestrian, tedious, banal, basic, mindless, beat, blah, commonplace

3. Tasteless, bland, or insipid.

   Synonyms: flavorless, savorless, wearish, bland, cardboard, flaggy, flavorless, ingustible

1. mnemonicnot comparableAn acronym for remembering undesirable characteristics for goal-setting: vague, amorphous, pie-in-the-sky, irrelevant, delayed/disassociated.

   One of the things that Paterson talks about is VAPID goals. He says that “VAPID goals are what we often set if we’re not thinking about it”.

   2016 August 13, Sonnie Bailey, “Do you have VAPID goals?”, in Wealth & Risk, archived from the original on 29 Jan 2019

   1 more example

   SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely goals, whereas VAPID goals are Vague, Amorphous, Pie-in-the-sky, Irrelevant, Dissociated goals.

   2017 December 21, “Yule Update: SMART vs VAPID goals”, in Chamomile Has A Blog, archived from the original on 15 Apr 2021